WTA PREVIEW | 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships featuring return of Aryna SABALENKA, Iga SWIATEK, Elena RYBAKINA and Coco GAUFF

The 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships are set to take place between February 18 - February 24, 2024 with Iga Swiatek being the top seed albeit with a new champion at least this year set to be crowned with Barbora Krejcikova not returning to defend it.

Krejcikova is out with an injury and defeated Swiatek in a fairytale run last year in the UAE. But Swiatek who as of time of writing faces Elena Rybakina in the final of the Qatar Open could come to Dubai with a first title of the season under her belt. Our preview looks ahead to the leading storylines in the final WTA 1000 before Indian Wells.

It is very much damage limitation for Iga Swiatek at the moment with the World No.1 having to defend a final run this week after having to defend a title this past week. Thankfully Aryna Sabalenka not playing Doha meant that Swiatek got away with having to battle for the World No.1 spot this week, but over the coming weeks that may not be the case.

Sabalenka sits on 8905 points as of next week and this is around 1,000 down on Swiatek. But the Pole has to defend a final run next time out and so the pressure will be ramped up. Albeit she won't be able to take top spot as a result this next week as only 1,000 points are available.

But for the Belarusian, it is a first tournament since her magical Australian Open back-to-back title run and another year where she has halted her return until the end of the Middle Eastern swing. What state she will be in remains to be seen, but before her brilliance and rise to the top, the Middle Eastern conditions were always a happy hunting ground and like Asia were the site of some of her best moments. So she will aim to recapture that this week on the road to the Sunshine Double which after losing in the final to Rybakina in Indian Wells holds big points. A big few weeks awaits for both of the top names.

As Simple Minds sung, Don't You (Forget About Me) and that can be said for the third part of the Big Three in WTA Tennis in Elena Rybakina. The leader for wins on the WTA Tour this year and tied (currently) for titles with Jelena Ostapenko, her Australian Open run aside, it has been a superb start to 2024 for the Ice Queen.

Rybakina has won in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and has had no deal of fuss in either facet in gaining sets and wins looking at her rampant best in both. A third title could be hers by the time she heads to Dubai and despite sitting behind Coco Gauff on ranking, she is certainly the form player right now.

Gauff is third in the rankings currently, but she had an abysmal time in Doha with her worst loss in a long time against Katerina Siniakova, so she will aim to bounce back. No Jessica Pegula in Dubai and likely until Indian Wells due to injury. Ons Jabeur is the next seed up but despite that, she herself is not 100%. Technically Qinwen Zheng and Jelena Ostapenko follow Rybakina in terms of form and especially the latter who has only been stopped by that pesky nemesis, Victoria Azarenka this season. Maria Sakkari also encounters life for the first time since Tom Hill was sacked as her coach.

There is also no returning intrigue in this tournament with no Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber or Caroline Wozniacki. Only Osaka and Kerber were afforded spots initially due to protected ranking, but both withdrew. All will likely return in Indian Wells. Only really Elina Svitolina will return and was present for the draw. But aside from that, the stories mainly go around the big names. Who takes the title? Likely one of a few players if this past week in Doha is anything to go by.