The 2026 Qatar Open will feature mutiple top ranked stars, including Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova and Coco Gauff. The WTA 1000 tournament will take place in Doha, Qatar, at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex from Feb. 8 to Feb. 14. The qualifying rounds start on Feb. 6.
The singles draw will feature 56 players, including direct entries, qualifiers, and wild cards. Meanwhile, the doubles draw features 28 pairs. The tournament is being skipped/missed by several key figures, including Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Iva Jovic.
Here are the top stories to follow for the tournament:
Australian Open Champ Elena Rybakina Chases No. 2 Iga Swiatek
Elena Rybakina defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open, and with that she is closing in on World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the WTA rankings. She is the second seed at the 2026 WTA Qatar Open, behind Swiatek.
After winning the Australian Open, Rybakina has moved to No. 3 in women’s rankings with 7,610 points. Meanwhile, the Polish star, who was defeated by Rybakina in the 2026 Australian Open quarterfinals, is at No. 2 with 7,978 points.
The Qatar TotalEnergies Open is a top WTA event outside of Grand Slams on the tour. The tournament offers substantial ranking points and a prize pool of over $4 million. Depending on how the draw plays out, Rybakina has a chance to topple Swiatek from the No. 2 spot in the rankings.
WTA Qatar Open 2026: Full Bracket Breakdown
In the singles draw, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina are the top two seeds in the draw. The top eight seeds of the tournament will receive a bye in the opening round.
The top 10 seeds in the tournament are as follows:
- Iga Świątek
- Elena Rybakina
- Amanda Anisimova
- Coco Gauff
- Mirra Andreeva
- Jasmine Paolini
- Elina Svitolina
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Linda Nosková
- Victoria Mboko
If everything goes as per the seeding, Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals and Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals. The top-ranked American might have to face the Australian Open runner-up in the quarters.
Meanwhile, Rybakina could face Andreeva in the quarters and Coco Gauff in the semifinals. Gauff will have to face the hurdle of facing Alexandrova in the quarters.
Coco Gauff vs Amanda Anisimova for No. 1 Fight
Amanda Anisimova is the defending champion of this tournament. Meanwhile, the other American, Coco Gauff, is just behind her in the seeding. They will be representing American and if they potentially reach the semifinals upset the better seeded players, they could set up All-American finals in Doha.
Amanda Anisimova Defending First Big Title
Amanda Anisimova had a breakthrough year last season, complete with two Grand Slam runner-up finishes. It all started with the American capturing her first WTA 1000 crown at 2025 the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. She defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the final.
She is coming off a quarterfinal upset at the hands of Jessica Pegula in the 2026 Australian Open.
Iga Swiatek Trying to Find Form Again
Despite being ranked No. 2, Iga Swiatek hasn’t lived up to expectations. She started the new season with early losses at United Cup, including defeats to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic.
At the Australian Open, she was defeated by Rybakina and she would like to get back on a winning run.
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