Taking place between 1-7 February, the Abu Dhabi Open on the WTA 500 is the first tournament post the Australian Open and sees the top names facing off for a main stop before Dubai, Doha among others on the Middle East swing.
Belinda Bencic is defending champion having won the title last year. She saw off Ashlyn Krueger 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 last time around and will be looking to produce again this time around. Elena Rybakina is top seed alongside Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Barbora Krejcikova using a protected ranking, Clara Tauson and Emma Navarro are also among the top names with Emma Raducanu leading the way in Transylvania Open also taking place in the same week.
Schedule/Results Abu Dhabi Open
Final
| Date/Time | Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Result |
| 6-2 14:00 | Sara Bejlek | v | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 7-6, 6-1 |
Semi-Finals
| Date/Time | Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Result |
| 6-2 15:00 | Hailey Baptiste | v | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 6-3, 6-7, 3-6 |
| 6-2 17:00 | Sara Bejlek | v | Clara Tauson | 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 |
Quarter-Finals
| Date/Time | Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Result |
| 5-2 11:30 | Sonay Kartal | v | Sara Bejlek | 0-6, 2-6 |
| 5-2 10:00 | Clara Tauson | v | McCartney Kessler | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 5-2 15:30 | Liudmila Samsonova | v | Hailey Baptiste | 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 |
| 5-2 14:00 | Alexandra Eala | v | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 3-6, 3-6 |
Second Round
| Date/Time | Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Result |
| 4-2 14:00 | Renata Zarazua | v | Sonay Kartal | 0-6, 3-6 |
| 4-2 11:30 | Sara Bejlek | v | Jelena Ostapenko | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 3-2 15:30 | Clara Tauson | v | Simona Waltert | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 3-2 11:30 | McCartney Kessler | v | Leylah Fernandez | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 3-2 10:00 | Liudmila Samsonova | v | Janice Tjen | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 3-2 14:00 | Hailey Baptiste | v | Emma Navarro | 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 |
| 4-2 15:30 | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | v | Alexandra Eala | 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 |
| 4-2 10:00 | Dayana Yastremska | v | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 3-6, 0-6 |
First Round
| Date/Time | Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Result |
| Belinda Bencic | v | Bye | ||
| 2-2 8:10 | Cristina Bucșa | v | Sonay Kartal | 3-6, 6-7 |
| 2-2 8:10 | Ashlyn Krueger | v | Sara Bejlek | 3-6, 0-6 |
| 2-2 14:00 | Jelena Ostapenko | v | Oksana Selekhmeteva | 7-5, 6-4, 2-6 |
| Clara Tauson | v | Bye | ||
| 2-2 9:55 | Daria Kasatkina | v | Simona Waltert | 6-7, 6-3, 4-6 |
| 1-2 11:30 | McCartney Kessler | v | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1-2 14:30 | Chloe Paquet | v | Leylah Fernandez | 0-6, 3-6 |
| 1-2 10:05 | Liudmila Samsonova | v | Sofia Kenin | 6-4, 6-0 |
| Janice Tjen | v | Maya Joint | 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 | |
| 1-2 15:30 | Hailey Baptiste | v | Teodora Kostovic | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| Emma Navarro | v | Bye | ||
| 2-2 8:10 | Paula Badosa | v | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | 4-6, 6-3, 1-6 |
| 2-2 15:30 | Alexandra Eala | v | Zeynep Sönmez | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2-2 12:45 | Dayana Yastremska | v | Beatriz Haddad Maia | 6-2, 7-5 |
| Ekaterina Alexandrova | v | Bye |
Entry List Abu Dhabi Open
| POS | PLAYER | NAT | RANK |
| 1 | ELENA RYBAKINA | KAZ | 5 |
| 2 | EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA | 10 | |
| 3 | BARBORA KREJCIKOVA | CZE | PR10 |
| 4 | BELINDA BENCIC | SUI | 11 |
| 5 | CLARA TAUSON | DEN | 14 |
| 6 | EMMA NAVARRO | USA | 15 |
| 7 | LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA | 17 | |
| 8 | VICTORIA MBOKO | CAN | 18 |
| 9 | MARKETA VONDROUSOVA | CZE | PR18 |
| 10 | ELISE MERTENS | BEL | 19 |
| 11 | LEYLAH FERNANDEZ | CAN | 22 |
| 12 | JELENA OSTAPENKO | LAT | 23 |
| 13 | QINWEN ZHENG | CHN | 24 |
| 14 | PAULA BADOSA | ESP | 25 |
| 15 | DAYANA YASTREMSKA | UKR | 27 |
| 16 | SOFIA KENIN | USA | 28 |
| 17 | BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA | BRA | PR30 |
| 18 | MCCARTNEY KESSLER | USA | 31 |
| 19 | MAYA JOINT | AUS | 32 |
| 20 | ALEXANDRA EALA | PHI | 49 MDWC |
Draw Abu Dhabi Open
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 |
| Belinda Bencic | v | Bye |
| Cristina Bucșa | v | Qualifier |
| Ashlyn Krueger | v | Qualifier |
| Jelena Ostapenko | v | Qualifier |
| Clara Tauson | v | Bye |
| Daria Kasatkina | v | Qualifier |
| McCartney Kessler | v | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova |
| Ajla Tomljanović | v | Leylah Fernandez |
| Liudmila Samsonova | v | Sofia Kenin |
| Janice Tjen | v | Maya Joint |
| Hailey Baptiste | v | Teodora Kostović |
| Emma Navarro | v | Bye |
| Paula Badosa | v | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro |
| Alexandra Eala | v | Zeynep Sönmez |
| Dayana Yastremska | v | Beatriz Haddad Maia |
| Ekaterina Alexandrova | v | Bye |
Predictions
Samuel Gill, Head Editor for TennisUpToDate.com sees Victoria Mboko as the champion in Abu Dhabi.
Victoria Mboko I see as the champion in Abu Dhabi. She has been incredible in the past 12 months and see this as a platform in which she will thrive.
Elena Rybakina or Belinda Bencic too I see as the potential champions with Bencic sealing the win last year. This was a main stop on her run back towards her best last year and I see Bencic having another good week here.
*** Victoria Mboko
** Elena Rybakina
* Belinda Bencic
Lucas Michael, Editor for TennisUpToDate.com sees Elena Rybakina as the champion.
All eyes will be on the action in Abu Dhabi with a whole host of talent looking to take the coveted title. From experience to youth to some of the highest ranked players in the world, the WTA 500 event has it all.
The favourite has to be Elena Rybakina. If the 2024 champion’s serve is at its best throughout the event, there is a chance that no one will be able to come close to the WTA Finals champion. The reigning champion Belinda Bencic will have something to say about it. The Swiss star was on fire at the start of the year, with her progress severely halted with an agonising round two defeat in the Australian Open.
Another player who endured an early exit in the Grand Slam was Ekaterina Alexandrova. This tournament is the perfect place for players to get back up on their feet and re-focus on winning matches and climbing up the rankings.
Other players to keep an eye out for is debutant Victoria Mboko, who reached a final in Australian before running into the world number one in Melbourne. She has proven that her form is good at the start of the year, with players like Leylah Fernandez and Paula Badosa looking to properly get their season underway with a good result.
For the title in Abu Dhabi, anyone from the list could turn up and produce the scintillating goods. However, I just cannot look past Rybakina.
*** Elena Rybakina
** Belinda Bencic, Victoria Mboko
* Ekaterina Alexandrova, Leylah Fernandez, Clara Tauson
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- One step by another step -- WTA continues to 'lose the plot'. Too many hi-tech microphones being installed at most venues!!! Remove them (especially those along the hallways, sidewalks, and pathways throughout the venues. Not to mention (most of all) remove the mic's from the Players/Coaches Box.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.mandoist06-11-2026
- Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026
- Jess is absolutely correct! But the disrespect is a trait I have noticed in most of the Russian players. Mirra is good but very immature and lacks humility. Conceivable needs to get a handle on that!Rapunzel05-11-2026
- Having spent weeks and weeks through the years on tour, I can say with confidence that Conchita was (is) one of the very few who realize the surprising level of maturity (and sometimes lack of) which Mirra seems to have developed in such a demanding adult world of Pro-Tennis. While at the same time reminding herself (Conchita, that is) that Mirra is still young and developing mentally and physically. The general public may forget at times, or not at all realize, these modern era young athletes do not have a 'normal' Youth. It's a major sacrifice, among countless sacrifices, these athletes must make. People who blow-off that fact are ignorant and unfair when they blurt out, "They choose fame so they have to put up with the intrusions on their lives". No, they do not.mandoist05-11-2026
- Okay... someone with a camera was EAVESDROPPING on a private conversation. Shouldn't that be the point of discussion here? Regardless of the sensationalist crap by media, Pegula (and anyone) has a right to an opinion. There used to be an expectation that private conversations were respected, regardless of 'stardom' and whatever other defensive excuses media tries to shove in our faces. Boo-hoo if feelings are hurt. BTW: Having been employed at various tourney venues, etc., I can't tell you how nasty and offensive players can be when discussing their opponents and colleagues... in "private". Well, I could, but won't. I also challenge anyone to deny what Jessica said is false.mandoist05-11-2026
- Vacherot is Mongasque, rather than Swiss. The tournament was Swiss :DTrwd7702-11-2026
- After a couple decades traveling to IIHF tourneys overseas... our family is done with it... and I will not be the only one!! Bad enough the NHL allows Ovachenko (a Putin Supporter and Campaigner) to live and play in the USA. Let's not forget the STATE SPONSORED RUSSIAN DOPING PROGRAMS still in effect today.mandoist31-10-2026
- Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.mandoist29-10-2026
- With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?mandoist29-10-2026
