Top stars brace for Qatar TotalEnergies Open challenge

Doha: The Qatar TotalEnergies Open, the season s first WTA 1000 event, begins this weekend at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, wit...

Doha: The Qatar TotalEnergies Open, the season’s first WTA 1000 event, begins this weekend at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, with a star-studded field set to compete. The qualifying rounds will be held today, featuring 16 encounters which will eventually fill eight spots in the main draw.

With Poland’s Iga Swiatek headlining the draw as the top seed, and the recently crowned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina looking to continue her brilliant form, the packed line-up includes 15 of world’s top 20 players who will be vying for honours in Qatar.

Swiatek arrives in Doha as the tournament’s most successful player in recent history, having captured three consecutive titles between 2022 and 2024. The former world number one will be aiming to add to her success in Doha to further cement her dominance at the famed venue.

Defending champion Amanda Anisimova also returns, fresh from an outstanding 2025 season that has lifted her to a career-high world number four ranking. The American claimed last year’s Doha crown with a straight-sets victory over Jelena Ostapenko, unseeded this time for the Qatar event.

Kazakh Rybakina, now ranked world number three, was beaten by Swiatek in Doha last year, but will be aiming to take her revenge this time.