Dubai draw: No. 1 Sabalenka eyes payback with Alexandrova in her sights

The draw for the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is out.

Dubai: Draws | Scores | Schedule

After a week of surprises at the Qatar Total Energies Open, where just two Top 8 seeds progressed past the quarterfinals, the top players are looking to right the ship this week in Dubai.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

View Profile and No. 2 Iga Swiatek

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View Profile and No. 4 and defending champion Jasmine Paolini

View Profile . The top eight seeds have first-round byes. 

Quick takeaways:

• Doha rematches abound: Sabalenka could face Ekaterina Alexandrova yet again. Zheng Qinwen will look for revenge if she faces Ons Jabeur in Round 2.  
• Belinda is back: The 2019 Dubai champion Belinda Bencic returns to the tournament for the first time since becoming a mom. She could face No.8 seed Emma Navarro in the second round. 
• So we meet again: Swiatek, Rybakina and Ostapenko are in the same half of the draw for the second week in a row. Last week in Doha, Swiatek bested Rybakina in the quarterfinals before running into Ostapenko in the semifinals. 
• Muchova's matchup: After skipping Doha, No. 17 Karolina Muchova is back and could face either Maria Sakkari or wild card Emma Raducanu in the second round. 

Dubai is the second WTA 1000 stop on the Hologic WTA Tour. Main-draw play begins on Sunday, Feb. 16. Click here for the full draw. 

Here's a quarter-by-quarter breakdown:

First quarter

Top-seeded Sabalenka and Ekaterina Alexandrova

View Profile could meet in the second round for the second straight week. An in-form Alexandrova toppled Sabalenka in Doha, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) en route to her third WTA 1000 semifinal. The win improved Alexandrova's record against Sabalenka to 4-4.

Can the Linz champion do it again? Alexandrova will open against Veronika Kudermetova

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Along with Sabalenka, No. 5 Jessica Pegula

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View Profile . Like Sabalenka, she eventually bowed out to Alexandrova. This week, Pegula will face either Liudmila Samsonova

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Last year's surprise runner-up Anna Kalinskaya

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View Profile or Rebecca Sramkova

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Second quarter

No. 3 Coco Gauff

View Profile and No. 8 Emma Navarro

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Last week, Gauff lost in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk

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View Profile this week. It would be the first meeting between the two young Americans since Anisimova stunned Gauff at 2022 Wimbledon.

Abu Dhabi champion Belinda Bencic

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Third quarter

World No. 4 and defending champion Jasmine Paolini

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View Profile . Paolini will open her title defense against a qualifier, while Rybakina could have to take on a red-hot Jelena Ostapenko

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Unseeded again this week, Ostapenko will open against a qualifier with the winner to face Rybakina. The Latvian enjoyed an outstanding week in Doha, where she notched two Top 5 wins over Paolini and Swiatek.

Fourth quarter

No. 2 Iga Swiatek

View Profile and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen lead the last quarter of the draw, with Mirra Andreeva

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Swiatek is a three-time champion in Doha but Dubai is one of the four WTA 1000 trophies she has yet to win. She has made the final four in her last two appearances, falling short to Barbora Krejcikova

View Profile in the 2023 final and to Kalinskaya in last year's semifinal. Swiatek will open against either Victoria Azarenka

View Profile or Anhelina Kalinina

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No. 8 Zheng Qinwen is still seeking traction in the new season. The Chinese star is 1-2 in 2025 and could face her Doha vanquisher Ons Jabeur

View Profile again. The Tunisian is in resurgent form after a run to the Doha quarterfinals and will play Peyton Stearns

View Profile in the first round. The winner will take on Zheng.