DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — This week, eight of the top ten players in the PIF WTA Rankings are competing at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the second 1000-event on the WTA Tour sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.
Among the participants is defending champion Mirra Andreeva, who, at just 17 years old, made history as the youngest WTA 1000 champion since the tournament format began in 2009. With World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek withdrawing from the event, Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina is the top seed, followed by Amanda Anisimova and Coco Gauff.
Below is an overview of each draw quarter, featuring notable first-round matches and potential quarterfinal battles. For the complete draws, click here.
First Quarter
The first quarter features top-seeded Rybakina, who receives a bye to the second round, along with Elina Svitolina. Other notable players include Belinda Bencic, Emma Raducanu, and Karolina Muchova, who is set to play in the Doha final later Saturday.
Key First-Round Match
Zeynep Sonmez vs. Sara Bejlek: Bejlek unexpectedly surged to a championship in Abu Dhabi as a qualifier, defeating Clara Tauson, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Jelena Ostapenko. Her ability to maintain this strong performance against Sonmez, who is aiming for another significant win after her Merida 2024 success, will be intriguing.
Potential Quarterfinal Matchup
Elena Rybakina [1] vs. Belinda Bencic [9]: Surprisingly, these seasoned athletes have only met three times on the WTA Tour, the last being in Bencic’s 2025 Abu Dhabi outing. Interestingly, despite a solid start at the United Cup, Bencic was eliminated in the Australian Open’s second round and has withdrawn from Abu Dhabi and Doha due to illness. A clash with Rybakina, currently one of the top performers on the tour, promises to be thrilling.
Second Quarter
Two former Dubai champions, Jasmine Paolini (2024) and Ostapenko (2022), are part of this draw quadrant, with World No. 4 Gauff as the highest seed. Other seeded players include Linda Noskova [10] and Emma Navarro [14], both returning to Dubai after early exits in Doha. If they win their initial matches, Cluj-Napoca champion Sorana Cirstea and fan favorite Alexandra Eala could meet in the Round of 16.
Key First-Round Match
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Anna Kalinskaya: Ostapenko looks for her first victory in four encounters against Kalinskaya, though they haven’t played since 2024. Both players had strong outings in Doha, with Ostapenko reaching the semifinals in singles and competing in the doubles final, while Kalinskaya made her best result this season in a quarterfinal loss to Karolina Muchova. Additionally, matches like Marie Bouzkova vs. Elise Mertens and Noskova vs. Ann Li will be compelling in this quarter.
Potential Quarterfinal Showdown
Coco Gauff [3] vs. Alexandra Eala: Gauff aims to regain her momentum following disappointing performances in the Australian Open and Doha. She must first defeat the winner of the Ostapenko vs. Kalinskaya match and potentially Navarro or Mertens to reach the quarterfinals. Eala’s path isn’t easy, as she faces Hailey Baptiste initially, but with her opponent Paolini potentially struggling, Eala’s matches are likely to attract significant crowd interest.
