DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Three of Doha’s standout players withdrew from the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Sunday, with Zheng Qinwen and Maria Sakkari citing illness and Karolina Muchova pulling out due to fatigue.

Muchova’s decision comes one day after her first 1000-title on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, where she defeated Victoria Mboko 6-4, 7-5 at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. The win marked her second career singles title, six years after her win at the 2019 Korea Open. 

Dubai: Updated singles draw (PDF)

“I haven’t had a second to think about anything yet, but I’ll for sure go to Dubai tomorrow and see how I feel and decide there,” Muchova said to wtatennis.com Saturday. 

In the first round, Muchova was slated to face qualifier Moyuka Uchijima, who will now face lucky loser Anastasia Zakharova. As for Zheng, she was slated to face Peyton Stearns, who defeated lucky loser Magdalena Frech 6-4, 6-2 Sunday afternoon. 

Sakkari was set for a pivotal first-round match against Iva Jovic [16], who will no encounter lucky loser  Kamilla Rakhimova. 

Zheng returned to the court this past week in Doha, reaching the Round of 16, after playing her first few matches in over five months. In her first-round match against Sofia Kenin, she fired 20 aces in a statement three-set win. She followed up that performance by defeating Alycia Parks in three sets, before narrowly falling to Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina 6-4, 2-6, 5-7.

“I hope [by] playing more matches this will get better,” Zheng said in Doha after playing Rybakina. “[I’m] always looking for things to improve, and that’s what I see from this week.”

After elbow surgery last July, she came back briefly in October at the China Open, but retired in her second match, and shut her season down after to focus on her recovery. She withdrew from the Australian Open, noting she wasn’t at the level necessary to compete in a Grand Slam, but her recovery was going smoothly.

In just her first few matches back, Zheng displayed solid form in Doha, but the illness will keep her out of action this week in Dubai. 

Zheng, No. 26 in the PIF WTA Rankings, is currently on the entry list for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, the third WTA 1000 event of the season.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek were also among other players to withdraw from Dubai.