Jessica Pegula and Desirae Krawczyk swapped rackets for golf clubs ahead of this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, spending an evening at Topgolf Dubai at Emirates Golf Club.
The two Americans, who have teamed up in doubles before, took part in a precision challenge at the city’s driving range. With Dubai’s skyline in the background, it was a brief break from practice before the WTA 1000 tournament at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
“It was really nice to get away from the tennis court and do something different,” Pegula said. “It was a lot of fun, especially doing this with Des. She’s always up for something competitive.”
Pegula, seeded fourth in Dubai and a finalist at the 2024 US Open, admitted she was surprised by Krawczyk’s golf swing.
“She was driving really well,” Pegula said. “I don’t think she’d ever played before. Driving like that isn’t easy.”
Krawczyk said the outing came at the right time in the week.
“Preparation has been going well,” she said. “We’ve had a few good days on court. It’s nice to unwind a little before tournaments.”
On court, both made strong starts in doubles. Krawczyk, playing with Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok, beat Fanny Stollar and Miyu Kato in straight sets to reach the last 16. Pegula, partnering Giuliana Olmos of Mexico, defeated Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.
In singles, Pegula received a bye into the second round as one of the top eight seeds.
The WTA 1000 tournament runs from February 15 to 21 and features 16 of the world’s top 20 players. The ATP 500 men’s event follows from February 23 to 28.
