Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka book DC Open semifinal berths

Naomi Osaka of Japan waits for the serve during a women’s singles match against Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy on day five of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

WASHINGTON–Women’s top seed Jessica Pegula and third seed Naomi Osaka reached the semifinals of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open after separate wins on Friday.

Pegula, who won her first career WTA title at Washington in 2019, eliminated 20th-ranked Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 7-5, to reach her sixth WTA semi-final of the year.

“Since the beginning of the year I’m finding more confidence in matches hitting different spots,” Pegula said. “I was focusing on that a lot today.”

Pegula will play for a berth in the final against fourth seed Diana Shnaider, who ousted Russian compatriot Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-4.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, rallied to eliminate Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 after two hours and 11 minutes.

World number 13 Osaka next faces either Ukraine’s second-seeded Elina Svitolina or Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.

“In the first set, I had low energy and I kept trying to pump myself up but something was a little flat,” Osaka said. “In the second, I just wanted to give it my best shot even though I wasn’t playing too good.”

Jessica Pegula of the United States hugs Anna Kalinskaya after a women’s singles match on day five of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP 

Pegula seeks her 12th career WTA crown and third of the year after triumphs in Dubai and Charleston.

She broke in the fourth game and held from there to take the first set in 37 minutes then broke in the 11th game of the second set and held at love to advance.

Meanwhile, Osaka was undone by 18 unforced errors, three times as many as her rival, in dropping the first set after 41 minutes.

She reached a third set when Cocciaretto double-faulted away a break in the 10th game of set two.

Osaka hit a backhand winner to break in the second game of the final set and held from there.