The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships returns in 2026 with one of the strongest WTA 1000 line-ups in its history, featuring all of the world’s top 20 players for the Women’s Week from 15-21 February. The 2026 field features a complete set of top-ranked stars, including World No1 Aryna Sabalenka, World No2 Iga Świątek, World No3 Coco Gauff, and World No4 Amanda Anisimova, alongside Elena Rybakina (No5), Jessica Pegula (No6), Jasmine Paolini (No7), 2025 champion Mirra Andreeva (No8), Madison Keys (No9) and Belinda Bencic (No10).
Leading the charge is Sabalenka, who returns to Dubai after a standout 2025 season highlighted by her US Open triumph, where the Belarusian claimed her fourth career Grand Slam title and secured a second consecutive win in New York. Reinforcing her position at the top of the women’s game, Sabalenka has started the 2026 season in fine form by retaining her title at the Brisbane International without dropping a set. Six-time Grand Slam champion Świątek also returns following another exceptional season in which the Polish star captured the 2025 Wimbledon title and reached multiple WTA 1000 finals, finishing the year with one of the highest win percentages on tour.
Joining them is Gauff, who enjoyed a defining 2025 campaign with her French Open victory, the second Grand Slam title of her career and first on clay. The American 21-year-old also added a Masters 1000 trophy in Cincinnati and reached the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and US Open grand slams, closing the year inside the top three for the first time.
Defending champion Andreeva had a breakthrough season in 2025 which saw her secure a historic triumph in Dubai, making her the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history. The 18-year-old Russian followed that success with two Grand Slam quarter-finals and a rapid rise into the world’s top 15. She arrives in Dubai looking to defend the title that launched her onto the global stage.
