Emma Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova were two of the high-profile names who both retired mid-match in their respective first and second-round outings at the ongoing 2026 Qatar Open in Doha. Raducanu’s mid-match retirement came first, with the former World No. 10 Brit making the decision while trailing Camila Osorio in the third set. Later, it was current No. 4 Anisimova’s turn to bow out under unfortunate circumstances against former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova.
Raducanu arrived in Doha on the back of her runner-up finish at the WTA 250 Transylvania Open in Romania. The 23-year-old, who famously won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, began her first-round match at the WTA 1000 event on the front foot, winning the first set 6-2. However, Osorio, the Brit’s opponent from Colombia who qualified for the main draw in Doha, squared things up by clinching the second 6-4.
At the start of the decisive third set, Raducanu appeared well off the pace and was broken. Osorio went on to consolidate the break by winning her service game to establish a 2-0 lead. Here, the World No. 25 from Great Britain called for the trainer to have her blood pressure checked and subsequently decided to retire, handing a walkover win to the Colombian qualifier.
Anisimova, the 2025 Doha champion and the third seed this time around, won the first set of her second-round clash against Pliskova 7-5. The Czech WTA veteran made things level by clinching the second set after edging the American in the tiebreak. In the third, trailing Pliskova 1-4, Anisimova, clearly looking unwell, retired from the contest. The two-time Slam finalist’s mid-match retirement will significantly affect her WTA Tour-level singles ranking.
By losing a whopping 990 ranking points courtesy her decision to retire, Anisimova will now drop out of the WTA top 5 and also lose her status of being the American No. 1 in women’s singles tennis.
“I Got Sick” – Amanda Anisimova After Mid-Match Retirement At Qatar Open 2026
Following her unfortunate mid-match retirement at the 2026 Qatar Open, Anisimova briefly touched on the reason behind her decision to put an end to her title defense in Doha. Despite expressing how excited she was to once again feature in the WTA 1000 hardcourt event, she admitted that health-wise, she simply wasn’t at her best, stating post-match:
“I was really happy to be back and excited to play. I got sick here, so I wasn’t feeling my best, but I thought it was a good match regardless.”
The American also showed her class by congratulating Pliskova, who returned to competitive action in the second half of 2025 following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury. Anisimova added:
“I feel we both played really well. Congrats to her, it’s good to see her back playing.”
Pliskova will go on to face the winner of the first-round match between compatriots Tereza Valentova and Karolina Muchova in the third round. Meanwhile, Osorio, who secured progress to the second round courtesy Raducanu’s mid-match retirement, will lock horns with Katerina Siniakova next.
Read More News:
How Coco Gauff Will Massively Benefit From Amanda Anisimova’s Heartbreaking Qatar Open Retirement
Emma Raducanu Receives Scathing Criticism From Boris Becker After Reaching Transylvania Open SF
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