Preview WTA Qatar Open 2026 | Swiatek and Anisimova look to add to prior success in Doha while Rybakina hunts for more glory on big stage

The tournaments are coming thick and fast on the WTA Circuit, with the prestigious WTA Qatar Open kicking off the WTA 1000 events in 2026 with a bang, with the tournament starting on February 9.

Some of the best players in the world will be taking centre stage over the week in Doha as they look to take home the title and the lavish rewards that go with it. While it is a stacked lineup, there are some obvious gaps in it. The world number one Aryna Sabalenka will not make the trip to the Middle East, along with other talented players such as Jessica Pegula, Belinda Bencic, Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, Iva Jovic and Eva Lys among others. Nevertheless, it has all the credentials to be a very memorable tournament.

All eyes will be on the reigning champion Amanda Anisimova who took everyone by surprise with a statement title victory, claiming her first ever WTA 1000 title while also showing her intentions to the rest of the field.

She was not at her complete best in the Australian Open, losing out in the quarter-finals to Jessica Pegula while halting her major final streak. A huge sum of ranking points will go off the world number four’s overall tally, leaving her with work to do to regain these points to stay around the business end of the rankings.

Three-time champion Iga Swiatek has had more success in this competition than anyone else. She is hoping to add to that success while getting back to her best after what has been a sub-par beginning to her 2026 by her lofty standards. The United Cup title was a huge coup but her performances on court were not overly convincing. She would then lose out to the eventual Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina quite convincingly in the end, with work to be done for the six-time Grand Slam champion.

The Pole will be hoping to add yet another title from this part of the world. She goes into it as the number one seed but could leave outside the world top two. Like Anisimova, the top eight seeds will get a bye into the second round, in which she will either play Janice Tjen or Sorana Cirstea.

Despite all the withdrawals, Rybakina is not one of them even though she is coming off a gruelling two-week campaign in Melbourne which ended in a second Grand Slam title. She looks to keep up her imperious form with either Xinyu Wang or Emiliana Arango her first test. The Kazakh is hunting for a first WTA 1000 title since the 2023 Italian Open.

You do not have to go far back to see when Coco Gauff last tasted 1000 triumph, coming in the last event in this category in the Wuhan Open. The usual serving and forehand demons still remain, but if she fixes them up she will be a real danger for the other players. She awaits the result of McCartney Kessler or Elsa Jacquemot.

It is a crucial period for Mirra Andreeva who is set to defend 2000 ranking points from her two successive titles last year in Dubai and Indian Wells. She has started the year bang in form despite an earlier than expected exit at Melbourne Park. Fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova is coming into this off the Abu Dhabi Open final, with her freshness set to be tested if she opts to compete. Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina also get welcoming byes to the second round, with some tantalising first round contests to be soon played out.

There are some very highly touted talents on display in the early stages, and none more prominent than Victoria Mboko. The Canadian Open champion looks to repeat the fate in the Middle East, making her debut in the event. Marie Bouzkova is her first opponent, with two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova and Peyton Stearns competing in the opposite first round match.

An exciting tie between Linda Noskova and Maya Joint sees two of the brightest youngsters face off for the first time. The winner will play either Elise Mertens and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with the third round a real possibility for all four players. That is the same for Emma Raducanu, who has a very favourable draw. If she gets past a qualifier in the first round, either Katerina Siniakova or Clara Tauson will be next on the list.

Last year’s runner-up Jelena Ostapenko takes on the former world number two Paula Badosa who is desperate for a bit of form again with injuries taking its toll on court. Alexandrova will be who the winner faces. Chinese tennis fans will also be very excited to watch their star player Qinwen Zheng once more. An elbow injury has kept her on the sidelines since Wimbledon with a failed comeback in China costing her more time away from court. She could run into Rybakina in the third round but has to get past the former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.