WTA 1000 Draw in Doha Revealed: Here’s Who Iga Świątek Could Face First

The draw for the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha took place today just after 12:00 PM Polish time. While the main draw includes 64 players, the top eight seeds, including Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina, received a first-round bye. This means Świątek will begin her title defense in the second round, where she will face either Maria Sakkari or a qualifier.

Unlike Świątek, fellow Polish players Magdalena Fręch and Magda Linette will start from the first round. Fręch has drawn a tough opening match against Beatriz Haddad Maia, while Linette will face a qualifier. If both advance, they will go head-to-head in the second round. A potential quarterfinal clash between Świątek and either Rybakina or rising star Mirra Andreeva could also be on the horizon.

Before reaching that stage, Świątek may have to navigate past dangerous opponents like Linda Nosková, Donna Vekić, or Yulia Putintseva. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka has also been dealt a challenging draw, with Coco Gauff lurking in her half of the bracket. The Belarusian will start her campaign against either Emma Raducanu or Ekaterina Alexandrova, setting up an exciting road ahead in Doha.