Next week, the WTA 1000 season begins with the 22nd Qatar TotalEnergies Open. Iga Swiatek, the two-time reigning champion, is back in the desert hoping to win the title three times in a row.
What you should know about Doha is as follows:
When does the tournament start?
The first WTA 1000 event of the 2024 Hologic WTA 1000 season is the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. The Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar is the venue for the tournament, which is held on outdoor hard courts. There will be usage of the Dunlop Australian Open ball.
There will be a 28-team doubles draw and a 56-player singles draw in Doha.
Sunday, February 11 is when main-draw play starts.
When are the finals?
On Saturday, February 17, the singles and doubles finals are scheduled. At 3:30 p.m., the doubles final will take place, and at 6 p.m., the singles final.
Who are the winners in the past?
In Doha, Swiatek has been the two-time defending champion. Her two-year reign as champion began a 37-match, six-tournament winning streak. She won the title match against Jessica Pegula the previous year, 6-3, 6-0.
Pegula and her partner Coco Gauff successfully defended their title in doubles as well. Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko were defeated by the Americans 6-4, 2-6, 10-7.
Who is playing?
In the Doha draw are eighteen of the Top 20 players. The only players holding out are World No. 2 and Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka (scheduled change) and No. 4 Pegula (neck injury).
Another straight entrance is Naomi Osaka, the four-time major winner, who has a special ranking of No. 46.
Top 10 seeds:
1. Iga Swiatek
2. Coco Gauff
3. Elena Rybakina
4. Ons Jabeur
5. Zheng Qinwen
6. Marketa Vondrousova
7. Maria Sakkari
8. Karolina Muchova
9. Jelena Ostapenko
10. Barbora Krejcikova
How does the drawing appear?
The draw ceremony is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 9.
What points and money prizes are up for grabs?
- First round: 10 points/$14,800
- Second round: 65 points/$20,650
- Round of 16: 120 points/$36,454
- Quarterfinal: 215 points/$72,965
- Semifinal: 390 points/$158,944
- Finalist: 650 points/$308,320
- Champion: 1000 points/$523,485
