Qatar Open WTA 2026: Results, Schedule, Entry List, Draw and Predictions

From February 8-14, 2026, the Qatar Open will take place as the first WTA 1000 of the season and for many the first action post the Australian Open.

Iga Swiatek has previously made this title hers with three in a row; she will aim for four over the next week. Elena Rybakina is slated to play in her first tournament after winning the Australian Open, with the near entirety of the top 32 entered apart from Naomi Osaka, who has had to withdraw due to an abdominal injury.

Amanda Anisimova is the defending champion, sealing the title last year by defeating Jelena Ostapenko in the final. It began with what can best be described as the year of Amanda, with the American who is now World No.4 surging after this to become a real force on the WTA Tour.

(as per TickTockTennis)

The draw will be confirmed likely on around February 5, a few days before the tournament starts the following Monday.

The schedule will likely be confirmed on February 7 ahead of the February 8 start. When confirmed it will be updated here.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for TennisUpToDate.com, sees Amanda Anisimova retaining her title.

I don't like foreseeing this but I would not be shocked for one if multiple big names end up not playing this at all anyway due to the proximity of the Australian Open.

Elena Rybakina, I do expect, though, to be involved. Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys, as previous winners of the Australian Open, have taken breaks when it comes to the tournaments after and given her disappointment, I wouldn't be shocked to see Sabalenka on a beach somewhere instead of in Qatar.

Amanda Anisimova had a bit of a meltdown in her loss in Melbourne, which went semi-vira,l and I expect her to come back and win here. It began the year of Amanda last year, and I expect her, Iga Swiatek, due to her brilliance here as well as Mirra Andreeva, to shine.

Andreeva has been terrific in 2026 sans the Svitolina loss in Australia so I expect a bounce back. Also expect Victoria Mboko and Belinda Bencic to perform well, the latter plays this week so will be ready for action.

*** Amanda Anisimova

** Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek

* Mirra Andreeva, Victoria Mboko, Belinda Bencic

Lucas Michael, Editor for TennisUpToDate.com, otherwise sees Iga Swiatek returning to her best.

The Qatar Open is the first WTA 1000 event of the year, with the top 10 in the world all there to compete for glory.

The usual suspects will be contesting for glory, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka looking to continue her incredible form in 2026 after reaching a fourth consecutive Australian Open final. She and Elena Rybakina are currently the two standout players on the WTA Tour, separating themselves from the competition since the WTA Finals last year, and many people would not bet against one of them from taking home the title.

The same can be said for Amanda Anisimova. Last year’s champion has a lot of points to defend from the scene of her first WTA 1000 title. She will be hoping to recuperate as many of them as possible, but the title would be the dream. She is not the only American heavily touted for glory. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula had mixed success Down Under, with Gauff’s struggles overshadowing another Grand Slam quarter-final. She will be hoping to put those right in similar fashion to her Wuhan Open triumph last year.

While she is not at her best, you can never count out Iga Swiatek. If she can find her A-game, she knows how to win in Qatar more than anyone else with her winning three titles in a row between 2022 and 2024.

It is a lottery between all of them, but I am going to stray away from the two standout players in Sabalenka and Rybakina and opt for Swiatek to repeat her form in the Middle East and win a fourth title in five years.

*** Iga Swiatek

** Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula

* Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff