Preview WTA Qatar Open 2026 Semi-Finals | Mboko takes on 2025 finalist Ostapenko as Muchova looks to prolong positive record over Sakkari

It is semi-final time in the WTA Qatar Open, and it is a very open lineup in store after a plethora of surprises and upsets occurring over the prior week in Doha.

Some of the biggest names have faltered and missed a huge opportunity to gain some valuable points, most notably the likes of Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova. Instead are four players maybe unexpected to see at this stage compared to who were predicted. Nevertheless, they earned their spot in these final stages with one of these players inly two wins from one of the biggest titles of their career.

Jelena Ostapenko was set to drop a huge tally of points in the Middle East with her set to defend a final appearance from last year. It would have seemed a tall order for the former Roland Garros champion to get back to those latter stages, but she has been able to as she continues this remarkable form in Qatar.

It is a fourth semi-final in Doha for Ostapenko who despite the success is still yet to lift the title. Her most recent foray was ended to the hands of Amanda Anisimova. She is yet to win a WTA 1000 title despite all the talent and hope possessed in her younger years.

This could be abolished if she finds to goods and produces two more wins. She has already completed a lot of the hard work, dropping just one set to this point. That came in the first set of the tournament for the Latvian against Anastasia Zakharova before Ostapenko managed to come back and seal the win. Another Russian was next on the chopping block, but a much more high calibre one in the form of Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Camila Osorio would be overcome with some ease before a quarter-final clash against the Hobart International champion Elisabetta Cocciaretto was in the pipeline. On two occasions Cocciaratto fought her way back into the sets after it looked like Ostapenko would see it out on serve, but both times the Italian’s hard work was undone, and this would prove costly.

Ostapenko now has a chance to challenge for a first WTA final since April, but it will not be easy with Victoria Mboko the other side of the net from her.

Already a WTA 1000 champion after unbelievably taking home the Canadian Open, Victoria Mboko has already proved the potential and talent she has on the court. This has been on show regularly in her debut campaign in Qatar, reaching a second WTA 1000 semi-final at the age of 19. This time last year she was bossing it on the ITF Circuit, showing the step up she has made in such a short time.

The Canadian may not leave with the title but has already completed a huge milestone. She is set to debut in the top 10 in the world after her last-eight win bumped her up into 10th. She will be over the moon with that, but there is still more work to do with a third WTA title slowly creeping into site.

Marie Bouzkova was her first victim before teaming up with Gauff in the doubles. After blowing a number of chances, the singles were her main focus. Two-time Grand Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva was defeated before she survived a match point on the way to dumping out fellow teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva. A huge upset was in store in the quarter-finals with her grit and determination proving crucial in an outstanding three-set win over the reigning Australian open champion Elena Rybakina.

These tough opponents would have got her very much prepared for the clash against her experienced opponent. It is a first meeting between them and at a crucial time. While Mboko may go into it as the slight favourite, you cannot rule out Ostapenko after a brilliant week.

Maria Sakkari has incredibly only won two WTA titles in her whole career; despite the lofty highs she has clambered to. One of which was the Guadalajara Open when it was a 1000 tournament, proving her capabilities on the court in these types of scenarios.

These prior couple of years has seen the Greek women slowly slide down the rankings as she loses her grasp on the top 32 with the tennis on court nowhere near good enough to compete with the best. This week, however, may be Sakkari proving to the doubters that she is still up there with the best.

While she is yet to achieve anything of any significant note this year, her tennis has picked up on court. Just one set was dropped on the pathway to this stage of the tournament. It began with a comfortable win over Zeynep Sonmez with a terrific showing over Jasmine Paolini dumping out the two-time Grand Slam finalist.

Varvara Gracheva was swept aside ahead of a clash against the number one seed and three-time champion Iga Swiatek. The Pole has not been at her absolute best this year but is still always a threat in court. This proved to be the case when she nicked the first set, but a brilliant Sakkari battled hard and managed to secure a huge victory against the six-time Grand Slam champion to reach a first WTA 1000 semi-final since the 2024 Indian Wells Open.

After whom she has beaten in this event, Karolina Muchova may not be the most ferocious of opponents. However, you would be a fool to write the Czech tennis player off after she started the year so brightly.

There is a distinct pattern to who Muchova has exited tournaments to this year. In the Adelaide International she was pipped by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals before she lost out to Coco Gauff in Melbourne in three sets.

Only the best players in the world can get the better of the former Roland Garros finalist, and she will be hoping that this continues. A spot in the top 10 is up for grabs if she wins the title and Mboko does not reach the final, but she will need to keep up her imperious form to stand a chance.

While she maybe has not played to high calibre opponents that some of her rivals in this event have faced, she has been simply flawless to this stage. Jaqueline Cristian was easily defeated before a couple of fellow countrywomen stood no chance. Tereva Valentova is a huge talent for the future, but she could not muster up a challenge to the 30-year-old who got fortunate against former world number one Karolina Pliskova with the 33-year-old retiring while 5-2 down in the first set. Her tightest match cane against Anna Kalinskaya. In the end, the Russian was defeated by winning the five final games.

The head-to-head between Sakkari and Muchova is in favour of the Czech athlete. First facing off on the ITF Circuit in 2016, Sakkari blitzed her opponent in a strong second set. Since then, she has had no luck.

All their recent clashes have come in either Grand Slam of 1000 competitions. Muchova dumped the Greek women out of the Madrid Open before two years on the spin ending her French Open run with a whimper. They last faced off in Cincinnati back in 2023 where Muchova fended off a charging Sakkari to make the head to head 4-1 in her favour. This is their most important matchup to date, with their huge permutations for the winner.