The Middle East swing is heating up.

Following a trio of tournaments in Abu Dhabi, Ostrava and Cluj-Napoca, the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz heads to Doha and Dubai.

The majority of the Top 50 players in the PIF WTA Rankings will be in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, either looking to build on their success from the Australian swing or get into form and jumpstart their season.

Ahead of the first two WTA 1000 tournaments of 2026, our writers answer the burning questions facing the field at two of the most prestigious events on the calendar.

Last year we saw Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva win breakthrough titles in Doha and Dubai, respectively. Which player has the best chance of winning her first career WTA 1000 title this month?

Brad Kallet: It’s still a long shot, but why not Iva Jovic? She’s older than Andreeva was when she won Dubai, already has a 500 title under her belt and has looked incredible to start the year. Following runs to the semis and final in Auckland and Hobart, respectively, the 18-year-old reached the Australian Open quarters, where she played Aryna Sabalenka competitively. She won’t play Doha, so she should be well-rested in Dubai. 

Greg Garber: I’m going with Linda Noskova, the second-highest ranked woman (No. 12) without a WTA 1000 title on her resume after Ekaterina Alexandrova. The 21-year-old from Czechia came close last year, losing to Anisimova in the Beijing final (in three sets). Noskova advanced to the third round at the Australian Open, falling to Wang Xinyu — who gave Anisimova quite a battle in the fourth round. Noskova has only a single title to her name (2024 Monterrey), but has a strong game and looks ready to take the next step. For context, consider that Noskova is the second-youngest player in the Top 12 (behind 18-year-old Andreeva) and is eight months younger than Coco Gauff. 

Alex Macpherson: Is there a greater gulf between talent and title count than Karolina Muchova’s sole WTA 250 trophy, won over half a decade ago? It’s not inexplicable — the Czech’s body frequently lets her down over the course of a full tournament, and even when it doesn’t, opponents such as Gauff — her Australian Open conqueror — can out-steady her with superior rally tolerance. But Muchova is in both good form and health in 2026 — she’s the only player who’s beaten Elena Rybakina this year — and surely the title drought has to end at some point. As long as she avoids Gauff in the draw… 

Noah Poser: Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one. Every player in the Top 10 has won a WTA 1000 title, which brings us to No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova. In 2024, Alexandrova reached the third round in Doha. She went two steps further in 2025, putting together a breakout run that included wins over former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. She captured the biggest title of her career last year in Linz and now looks poised to prove her ranking is no fluke by taking the next step in 2026. 

Matt Wilansky: How about Andreeva’s frequent doubles partner, Diana Shnaider? She’s ranked No. 21, with a career-high No. 12, and already owns tour-level titles on hard courts, clay and grass. Her left-handed forehand opens the court early and lets her dictate first contact. At the WTA 1000 level, her best result so far is a Canadian Open semifinal from two years ago. But to start this season, she won three matches in Adelaide and reached the third round at the Australian Open, where she lost to eventual semifinalist Elina Svitolina. 

Sabalenka won’t be in Doha, but she will be in Dubai. On the heels of the Australian Open final, is she still the favorite to win this tournament, or is it suddenly  Rybakina? 

Brad Kallet: Tough one. Rybakina is officially the hottest player in the world right now, dating back to last year’s WTA Finals, but Sabalenka is still the biggest threat to win titles every week. She simply doesn’t lose before the quarters. In fact, the last time she did lose before the quarters was exactly a year ago, when she lost her opener in Doha and her second-round match in Dubai. That hurts my argument, but I’m not putting too much stock into those results. She’s locked in right now and will have a chip on her shoulder after losing in Melbourne. But this is basically a pick’em — hopefully we get to see them play in another final. 

Greg Garber: I’ll take the contrarian route. Last year, Sabalenka won the Australian Open and fizzled during the Middle East swing. I think it just underlines what a massive effort is required to win a major title. I wonder if both Rybakina and Sabalenka will suffer a similar letdown. Last year, it was Anisimova and Andreeva breaking through in Doha and Dubai, and I suspect we might see some similar results here. Don’t overlook Iga Swiatek, who has made the final in Dubai. 

Alex Macpherson: As dominant as Sabalenka is over the field, she’s not an overwhelming favorite when it comes to actually winning tournaments — she’s lost six of her past 10 finals, all while ranked World No. 1. And last year, she was open about conserving her energy during the Middle East swing to make a push in the Sunshine swing. I’m not expecting a huge result in Dubai. Rybakina is probably the leading favorite, though despite her strong form, there’s a caveat there as well — she has yet to win consecutive tournaments in her career. Dubai spells opportunity for fresher players. 

Noah Poser: I think the consensus is that Sabalenka enters almost every tournament as the favorite. But for this particular tournament, can we say for certain that either Sabalenka or Rybakina holds that status? There’s no reason Andreeva shouldn’t be viewed as a legitimate threat to go back to back. She opened her 2026 season with the Adelaide title before running into a red-hot Svitolina at the Australian Open. And after beating Rybakina and Swiatek on her way to the trophy last year, she has every right to be considered the favorite to defend her title until proven otherwise. 

Matt Wilansky: Can I take the easy way out and say both — and neither? Sabalenka and Rybakina are the two strongest players on tour right now, but that doesn’t automatically make either the outright favorite in Dubai. Outside of Rybakina’s run to the final in Doha in 2024, neither has a deep history of success at these flagship Middle East events over the past five years. The Australian swing is a grind, and the turnaround to recover for back-to-back 1000s is significant. Look, there’s no doubt these are the two toughest outs in the draw, but if we’re judging this stretch of the calendar historically, the Australian Open finalists aren’t the safest bets two weeks later.

Of the players who weren’t at their best during the Australian swing, who is poised to find their footing and go on deep runs in Doha and Dubai?

Brad Kallet: Jasmine Paolini had a quiet Australian swing, going 1-1 at the United Cup before bowing out in the third round of the Australian Open. But early exits mean more time to rest and recharge, and Paolini will arrive in Doha on fresh legs. She went just 2-2 at these tournaments last year, but the year prior she won her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai. The 30-year-old will pick up some big wins and contend for both titles. 

Greg Garber: This is where Andreeva came alive last year. Sure, she hit a wall of sorts as the year wound down, but at 18 (she turns 19 in April) I’m thinking she’s older, wiser and mentally stronger this year in dealing with her surprising early success. Andreeva got to the fourth round of the Australian Open, but lost to Svitolina 6-2, 6-4. She’ll feel the good vibes in Dubai as she contemplates a title defense. 

Relive the moment: Andreeva becomes youngest WTA 1000 champ in Dubai

Alex Macpherson: Despite a formidable serve and easy power off both wings, Alexandrova continued to underperform on the major stage with a first-round exit in Melbourne. But her first Top 10 finish last year was indicative of the genuine improvements the 31-year-old has made lately, particularly in her rally tolerance. The fast hard courts of the Middle East suit her game — witness her Doha semifinal run last year, including a rare tiebreak victory over Sabalenka — and she’s a legitimate threat to win one of these tournaments.

Noah Poser: Ditto on Alexandrova. She struggled Down Under, suffering a third straight first-round exit in Melbourne. But as Alex noted, the following two things are true: These courts suit her game, and she’s genuinely improved since this time last year. Fresh off four WTA 500 finals in 2025, she has everything she needs to not only back up last year’s semifinal run in Doha, but take the next step and reach her first WTA 1000 final. 

Matt Wilansky: I suppose it depends on what “not at her best” really means. Swiatek played well at the United Cup … until she didn’t, losing to Gauff and Belinda Bencic, then had a solid Australian Open until running into Rybakina. With Swiatek, the bar is so high that anything short of a title tends to get framed as a disappointment. And considering she won Doha three straight times, there’s little reason to think this part of the calendar won’t suit her again. 

It’s still very early in the season, but which Top 10 player is most in need of big results in Doha and Dubai? 

Brad Kallet: Gauff could use some good vibes after her disappointing 6-1, 6-2 loss to Svitolina in the fourth round of the Australian Open. She was understandably frustrated after that one and will be looking to find her form in the Middle East. She certainly had her moments during the Australian swing — a commanding win over Swiatek, beating Muchova — but inconsistency plagued her. Now down to No. 5 in the PIF WTA Rankings, a deep run or two would go a long way. 

Greg Garber: Paolini could use a boost right about now. She had a nice fall in China, going 8-3. But at the WTA Finals she didn’t win a match. After the break, she was 3-5 between the United Cup and the Australian Open. Paolini split four matches last year in Doha and Dubai, but don’t forget that her WTA 1000 breakthrough came two years ago in Dubai.  

Alex Macpherson: Rankings-wise it’s Andreeva, who could fall out of the Top 10 if she doesn’t defend the 2,000-plus points she racked up over February and March last year. But the 18-year-old’s successful reset in the offseason is more important at this stage of her career than any temporary ranking dip she might experience. So I’ll go with Swiatek, whose Wimbledon title salvaged her 2025 season but didn’t help to fix perennial issues, such as her tendency to try to overpower bigger hitters. That plagued her in losses to Bencic and Rybakina in Australia. 

Noah Poser: Conventional wisdom says players like Andreeva, Anisimova and Bencic — all title winners during last year’s Middle East swing — would feel the most pressure to defend the hefty number of points coming off their records. But I’m going in the opposite direction and pointing to Gauff, who has a massive opportunity in front of her. She’s defending only 20 points between Doha and Dubai after second-round exits at both events last season. Currently No. 5 in the PIF WTA Rankings, a climb to No. 2 isn’t entirely out of the question. 

Matt Wilansky: Look, you could make a case for almost anyone in the Top 10. Outside of Rybakina, most of them would benefit from a deep run. But more than anyone, Gauff fits the question. Since her Roland Garros title last year, she’s reached just one final, winning Wuhan in October. Gauff has a chance to put together a strong couple of weeks in the Middle East before the added expectations that come with playing in front of home fans next month.Â