World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has pulled out of the 2026 Qatar TotalEnergies Open due to a schedule change, leaving Iga Swiatek as the top seed for the first WTA 1000 event of the season. The tournament in Doha begins on February 8 with a strong field including Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and defending champion Amanda Anisimova. Other notable withdrawals include Jessica Pegula and several players recovering from injuries.
The Qatar TotalEnergies Open, a premier WTA 1000 tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, marks the start of the Middle East swing on the WTA Tour. Qualifying rounds begin on February 6, with main draw action from February 8 through February 14. The singles draw features 56 players, including 44 direct entries, eight qualifiers and four wild cards, while the top eight seeds receive first-round byes. The doubles competition includes 28 teams, with four advancing directly to the second round. The draw will be announced on February 6 at 2 p.m. local time.
Sabalenka, who won the event in 2020 but has struggled there since with a 2-3 record, including a first-round exit last year to Ekaterina Alexandrova, cited a change in schedule for her withdrawal. The 27-year-old Belarusian started 2026 strongly, securing 11 straight wins and the Brisbane title before falling to Rybakina in the Australian Open final, where she led 3-0 in the third set but lost momentum. She remains entered for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships the following week. Jessica Pegula is another top-10 absence, but the rest of the PIF WTA Rankings top 10, including Swiatek, Rybakina, Gauff and Anisimova, will compete in their first event since the Australian Open, which Rybakina captured.
Additional withdrawals include World No. 15 Madison Keys, Australian Open quarterfinalist Iva Jovic, and players sidelined by injuries: Naomi Osaka, Marta Kostyuk, Eva Lys and Lois Boisson, the latter missing Dubai as well due to a leg issue. Veronika Kudermetova's pullout opened a spot for Alexandra Eala. Returning players Zheng Qinwen, Paula Badosa and Marketa Vondrousova, who recently withdrew from Abu Dhabi with a shoulder injury, are in the field. Replacements for Sabalenka and Boisson are Emiliana Arango and Cristina Bucsa.
Anisimova, last year's champion after defeating Jelena Ostapenko in the final, headlines a draw with past winners like Swiatek (2022-2024), Elise Mertens (2019) and Karolina Pliskova (2017). The event offers $4,088,211 in prize money, with the singles champion earning $665,000 and 1,000 ranking points. Reigning doubles champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini also return.
