Dubai Open Preview: Dates, Draw, stars and prize money for the WTA 1000 event
The Middle East swing concludes with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 stop that gathers the world’s top players for a one-week hard-court showdown. Here’s what fans and bettors need to know: the schedule in Eastern Time, draw highlights, notable absences and the money and ranking points on offer.
Schedule, draw timing and tournament format
Qualifying begins on Friday, Feb. 13. Main-draw singles and doubles action starts on Sunday, Feb. 15, and the week-long tournament runs through Saturday, Feb. 21. The main draw is set to be revealed on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1: 00 p. m. local time (4: 00 a. m. ET). The doubles final is scheduled for Feb. 21 at 4: 30 p. m. local time, which is 7: 30 a. m. ET; the singles final will follow later that day.
The event is played on outdoor hard courts at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. The singles field is a 56-player draw made up of 43 direct entries, eight qualifiers, four wild cards and one Special Exempt. The top eight seeds receive byes into the second round, meaning several top players begin their campaigns in the Round of 32.
Who’s in, who’s out and draw storylines
Every member of the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings is entered, headlined by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who returns after withdrawing from last week’s event in Doha. Jessica Pegula, absent from the first WTA 1000 stop of the swing, is also back in the field. Returning players of note include Belinda Bencic, who missed Doha after falling ill in Abu Dhabi, and Australian Open quarterfinalist Iva Jovic.
Mirra Andreeva, the defending champion, is in the draw after a breakthrough run here last year that crowned her the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history. Her Dubai title and subsequent Indian Wells success helped propel her into the Top 10, making her a storyline to watch as she defends significant points.
Several players have withdrawn with injuries. Madison Keys, now No. 16, is absent while recovering. Naomi Osaka, Marta Kostyuk, Eva Lys and Marketa Vondrousova have also pulled out of the event. The Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala has been moved into the main draw following the withdrawal of McCartney Kessler with a lower back injury.
Seed and pairing notes from the released draw include Elina Svitolina being seeded seventh; her first opponent will be the winner of Kateryna Siniakova versus Paula Badosa. Dayana Yastremska, ranked in the 40s, opens against Janis Tjen. Both players will look to use Dubai as a platform to build momentum early in the season.
Prize money, points and what’s at stake
The tournament carries a total prize purse of $4, 088, 211. The singles champion will collect $665, 000 and 1, 000 ranking points; the runner-up receives $385, 001 and 650 points. Semifinalists will earn $197, 000 and 390 points, while quarterfinalists take home $98, 500 and 215 points. Rounds of 16 and 32 pay $49, 250 (120 points) and $26, 000 (65 points) respectively; first-round (Round of 56) payouts are $18, 300 with 10 points.
In doubles, the champions will split $195, 000 and the runners-up will pocket $110, 010. With a WTA 1000-level points haul at stake, Dubai represents one of the last big opportunities for players to secure major ranking gains before the tour shifts to North America for the Sunshine swing.
Expect early-morning viewing windows for U. S. audiences given the nine-hour time difference with Dubai, and keen competition across the board as top seeds aim to solidify standings and lower-ranked entrants chase breakthrough results.
