The WTA Tour’s Middle East swing will conclude with the Dubai Open 2026, also known as the Dubai Tennis Championships. The season’s second WTA 1000 tournament will run from February 15-21 and will take place at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Mirra Andreeva is the defending champion, while Elena Rybakina is the top seed. Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, and Jessica Pegula are the other notable names in the 56-player field. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, the top two players in the world, have opted to skip the tournament.
Here are the top storylines to follow in Dubai:
Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Amanda Anisimova Aiming to Bounce Back From Their Qatar Open Setbacks
Elena Rybakina captured her second Major title at last month’s Australian Open. She was the favorite to win the Qatar Open but was shown the door by Victoria Mboko in the quarterfinals. She will be keen to redeem herself in a Dubai, where she has a chance of becoming the World No. 2 for the first time.
Gauff made a swift exit from the Qatar Open, leaving the tournament without a win for the third straight year. She didn’t win a match at last year’s Dubai Tennis Championships either. As such, she will be keen to avoid another washout in the Middle East.
Anisimova was the defending champion in Qatar. Unfortunately, an injury forced her to throw in the towel during her second-round match against Karolina Pliskova. If she has recovered, then she will be eager to make up for last week’s disappointment.
WTA Dubai Open 2026: Full Bracket Breakdown
Elena Rybakina headlines the draw as the top seed, followed by Amanda Anisimova. The top eight seeds have received a bye into the second round. The top 10 seeds are as follows:
- Elena Rybakina
- Amanda Anisimova
- Coco Gauff
- Jessica Pegula
- Mirra Andreeva
- Jasmine Paolini
- Elina Svitolina
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Belinda Bencic
- Linda Noskova
If there are no upsets, then Rybakina will meet Svitolina in the quarterfinals followed by Gauff in the semifinals. The American could run into Paolini in the quarterfinals. Anisimova could face defending champion Andreeva in the quarterfinals, and a potential semifinal date with Pegula could be on the horizon.
Mirra Andreeva’s First Big Title Defense
The Dubai Open will mark Andreeva’s first significant title defense campaign. No player has won back-to-back titles in Dubai since Elina Svitolina achieved the feat in 2017 and 2018. She already won a title this year in Adelaide but lost to Victoria Mboko in the third round of the Qatar Open.
Victoria Mboko Vying for the Middle East Double
Mboko will take on Karolina Muchova in the final of the Qatar Open on Saturday (February 14) evening. She has assured herself of a top 10 debut with her run to the final. All eyes will be on the Canadian prodigy in Dubai to see if she can continue her current form.
However, with the Middle East WTA 1000 events being played back-to-back with no days of rest in between, unlike some of the other two-week events, there’s a chance that Mboko could withdraw at the last minute. She doesn’t even have the luxury of a bye unlike the top eight seeds. If does compete, then she will be among the top favorites to go all the way.
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