The players will arrive in Doha for the Qatar Open, which will take place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex from February 9 to 15, marking the beginning of the first WTA 1000 tournament of the year in the Middle East.
The tournament features as defending champion the American world No. 4, Amanda Anisimova, who showed signs of her extraordinary 2025 season – in which she won two WTA 1000 titles and reached two Grand Slam finals – after an impeccable campaign in Doha, defeating Jelena Ostapenko in the final.
The tournament will also mark the return to the courts of Elena Rybakina, recent Australian Open champion, who has won 19 of her last 20 matches. The Kazakh arrives as world No. 3, having faced in the Melbourne final the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, champion in Doha in 2020 and the first seed on this occasion, who will seek to improve on last year’s campaign, where she was eliminated in her first-round match.
Other notable names join a draw that already includes 13 top-15 players, and a total of 16 within the top 20. Iga Swiatek – semi-finalist in 2025 and three-time champion – will be one of the names to watch, as will the American world No. 4 Coco Gauff, who will have the chance to reclaim the American No. 1 ranking, facing the significant points defense that Anisimova has ahead.
There are already some confirmed absences for the first WTA 1000 of the year, highlighting world No. 6 Jessica Pegula and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka (No. 15). While Pegula made a calendar decision and will travel directly to Dubai the following week, the Japanese player comes after suffering an abdominal injury that forced her withdrawal during the Australian Open before playing the third round. Other notable absentees include Madison Keys, Iva Jovic, and Marta Kostyuk.
Meanwhile, it will be an opportunity to see other interesting names on the tour, who will seek a chance to start the season well with a strong performance in the first WTA 1000 of the year. Teenagers Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko will be other players to watch, with Mboko making her debut in the tournament, while Andreeva will try to improve on her only previous participation, a year ago, when she lost in the second round.
It’s also anticipated that players who haven’t participated in major tournaments in a while due to injury would return. After missing the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, former Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen (No. 25), former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova (No. 38), and 2025 Roland Garros semifinalist Lois Boisson (No. 33) will return to the courts in a significant event.
