WTA Dubai Draw: Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff land in top half

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is ringing in its 25th anniversary—and its first official year as a permanent WTA 1000 tournament—with a stacked field including nine of the world’s Top 10 players, headlined by Top 2 seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. Only Madison Keys, fresh off her Australian Open victory, is absent from the draw.

Read more: 2025 Dubai women's singles draw

Dubai, which previously traded the 1000-level sanction with the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, will remain a WTA 1000 for a second straight year, with plans to expand the grounds with renovated stadium courts in the next two years.

“The line-up is absolutely fantastic,” said Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free and Chairman of the Tournament’s Organising Committee, to kick off the tournament’s official Draw Ceremony.

2024 finalist Anna Kalinskaya and wild card Sorana Cirstea were both on hand for the draw ceremony, each speaking about their experiences playing in Dubai.

“I have so many good memories from last year’s amazing matches,” said Kalinskaya, who stunned Iga Swiatek en route to the biggest final of her career.

“I don’t know if many people know, but I live in Dubai,” added Cirstea, who reached the semifinals last year. “So, this feels like a home tournament.”

Sabalenka will be looking to shake off a disappointing return to action following the Australian Open after losing her opening-round match at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. To return to her winning ways, the current WTA world No. 1 may have to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova, the very player who knocked her out in Doha. Unseeded and looming in Dubai, Alexandrova opens against a qualifier while Sabalenka enjoys a first-round bye.

Sabalenka is in the same quarter as No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula, whom she beat to win her first US Open title last summer, and the same half as No. 3 seed Coco Gauff.

Like Sabalenka, Gauff also stumbled in her first match of the Middle East Swing, losing to Marta Kostyuk in Doha. As of now, the American is guaranteed to face a countrywoman in her opening round match: either McCartney Kessley or Amanda Anisimova, who is set to compete in the Doha final on Saturday.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek anchors the bottom half of the draw. Though she reached the semifinals in Doha, the five-time Grand Slam champion saw her run of three straight Doha titles end in perfunctory fashion to Jelena Ostapenko. Swiatek will kick off her Dubai campaign against either former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka or Anhelina Kalinina.

Defending champion Jasmine Paolini is the No. 4 seed, and will play her first match against one of two qualifiers.