Three former Top 10 players on the comeback trail -- Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova and Belinda Bencic -- picked up first-round victories at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday.
Abu Dhabi: Draws | Scores | Order of play | 411
Ons on fire: Jabeur of Tunisia took down No. 7 seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in two tight sets, 7-6(4), 7-5, in the nightcap match on Stadium Court. Jabeur needed 1 hour and 46 minutes to notch her third consecutive victory over 2017 Roland Garros champion Ostapenko.
Former World No. 2 Jabeur, the highest-ranked Arab player in women's tennis history, missed the last quarter of 2024, ending her season after Toronto in August due to a shoulder injury. She returned to action at the start of this year and has gone a solid 7-3 in 2025 thus far.
Tuesday's match got off to a rough start for Jabeur, falling behind 3-1 as she failed to put any first serves into play. But the Arab superstar pulled herself back into contention in front of an excited crowd in the U.A.E.
The first set was settled with a tiebreak, and Jabeur came through down the stretch, winning the last four points of the breaker. Ostapenko came unglued with 23 unforced errors in that set, including four double faults.
Ostapenko had a chance to level the match when she served for the second set at 5-4, but Jabeur battled back on serve again. The Tunisian went on to win the final three games of the match, wrapping up the victory with a backhand return winner down the line.
Jabeur will meet fast-rising 17-year-old qualifier Wakana Sonobe in the second round. Last month, Sonobe became the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open junior girls' singles title. On Monday, Sonobe earned her first WTA main-draw win by upsetting Yuan Yue.
Marketa bests Emma in Slam champ battle: Earlier on Tuesday evening, Vondrousova of the Czech Republic defeated Great Britain's Emma Raducanu 6-3, 6-4 in a clash between Grand Slam champions.
Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, needed 1 hour and 35 minutes to best 2021 US Open champion Raducanu and edge ahead 2-1 in their head-to-head. Raducanu had beaten Vondrousova at 2021 Wimbledon, but Vondrousova avenged that loss at 2022 Billie Jean King Cup and has now won two straight against Raducanu.
"It was a good match I think from both sides," Vondrousova said. "We were fighting every game, so I’m very pleased, and I’m very happy to be through. I think Emma is a great player, tough [draw] for the first round. I’m very happy to be back and playing."
Czech left-hander Vondrousova is gradually getting back into the swing of things on tour after missing six months of action last year following Wimbledon, due to a left shoulder injury.
Former World No. 6 Vondrousova made her comeback earlier this year in Adelaide, where she won a round before having to retire in her second-round match against Diana Shnaider due to a left thigh injury. The Czech then pulled out of the Australian Open.
Back on court, Vondrousova was able to defeat Raducanu and earn her second victory of the year. Raducanu actually held an early 3-1 lead in Tuesday's first set, but the Brit ceded her serve in the next game, where she fended off five break points but not the sixth. Vondrousova reeled off five games in a row to take the one-set lead.
Vondrousova served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but heavy returns by Raducanu kept the Brit in the hunt as she pulled back on serve. However, Vondrousova was not to be denied, converting her third match point in the following game with a strong lefty forehand.
Vondrousova will now take on No. 4 seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round, after Putintseva's first-round bye. Vondrousova is a perfect 3-0 against Putintseva so far in their head-to-head.
Belinda keeps rolling: Former World No. 4 Bencic of Switzerland outlasted Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to continue her successful return after maternity leave.
The 2021 Olympic gold medalist Bencic restarted tour-level action this year and has gone 8-3 so far in 2025. That includes a trip to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam event since giving birth to daughter Bella.
Bencic will face lucky loser Veronika Kudermetova in the second round. They have played nine times already, with Bencic holding a slim 5-4 lead over Kudermetova in their head-to-head.
More to come...
