WTA Abu Dhabi Open 2026: Updated schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details
Defending champion Belinda Bencic had to withdraw with illness.
The season’s Middle East swing begins with the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open 2026. WTA 1000 events at Qatar and Dubai are set to follow, completing the trio of WTA events in the Middle East.
Last year, Belinda Bencic made an impressive title run in Abu Dhabi. Ranked No. 157 in the WTA, the Swiss player won the event as a wildcard, defeating Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina en route to her first title in two years.
In 2026, she returns with the mantle of defending champion and as the top seed to the Abu Dhabi Open. Bencic won the title in 2023 as well. The week-long WTA 500 event also has Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson and Leylah Fernandez on its roster.
Bencic, who heads the 28-player singles draw, is seeded to meet Tauson in the last four and Alexandrova in the title round. Third-seeded Tauson, a winner at Auckland last year, will be a tricky opponent for Bencic should the semi-final meeting take place.
Alexandra Eala, the semi-finalist at the 2026 ASB classic will take on rising Turkish player Zeynep Sönmez in the opening round. Sonmez made an impressive debut at the 2026 Australian Open, reaching the third round at a Grand Slam event for the second time after Wimbledon in 2025.
Another player rising through the ranks is Janice Tjen. The Indonesian who won the WTA 250 Chennai Open in November last year will take on Australian Maya Jant in the first round.
Jelena Ostapenko, Paula Badosa and Emma Navarro will turn up in Abu Dhabi, all without a tour-level title in the recent past. Ostapenko (Stuttgart) and Badosa (Merida) last won in the first half of the 2025 season. Navarro last got to hold a winner’s trophy at the 2024 Washington Open.
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko was set to play in Abu Dhabi, but has extended her time off after reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for the first time in Melbourne. Mboko is expected to be back in action at the WTA 1000 event in Doha later this month.
Zheng Qinwen, whose return to tour remains on hold, has been replaced by Alexandra Eala. Elena Rybakina, the 2024 champion, has been replaced by Cristina Bucsa in the main draw.
Eala will also be pairing up with Tjen for the doubles draw. Ostapenko, who won the 2026 doubles title with Ellen Perez, has signed up with Barbora Krejcikova for the doubles draw.
Tauson, in partnership with Hao-Ching Chan and Alexandrova, with Joint are the other doubles pairings in the fray.
​When will Abu Dhabi Open 2026 begin?
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Open is scheduled to run between February 1 and February 7.
Which city will host Abu Dhabi Open 2026?
Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates will be the host city for the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open.
Who are the seeded players at Abu Dhabi Open 2026?
The top seeds in the women’s singles draw
- Belinda Benic
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Clara Tauson
- Emma Navarro
- Liudmila Samsonova
- Leylah Fernandez
- Jelena Ostapenko
- Paula Badosa
The top seeds in the women’s doubles draw
- Asia Muhammad/Erin Routliffe
- Cristina Bucsa/Shuai Zhang
- Ellen Perez/Demi Schuurs
- Tereza Mihalikova/Olivia Nicholls
Which Indian players participating at Abu Dhabi Open 2026?
There are no Indian players due to participate in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open.
What is the competition schedule of Abu Dhabi Open 2026?
- Round of 32: February 1-2
- Round of 16: February 3-4
- Quarter-final: February 5
- Semi-final: February 6
- Final: February 7
​Where and how to watch live streaming and broadcast of Abu Dhabi Open 2026 in India, the USA, and the UK?
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Open shall be available for Indian viewers on the Tennis Channel and WTA TV. Fans in the United States can watch the Middle East swing get underway in Abu Dhabi on ESPN and the Tennis Channel. TNT Sports and Discovery+ will be broadcasting the event live in the United Kingdom.
Abu Dhabi Open 2026 full schedule, fixtures and results
Day 1 — February 1 (Sunday)
Women’s Singles Round 1
- (5) Liudmila Samsonova beat Sofia Kenin (6-4, 6-0)
- (6) Leylah Fernandez beat Chloe Paquet (6-0, 6-3)
Day 2 — February 2 (Monday)
Women’s Singles Round 1
- (8) Paula Badosa lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich (4-6, 6-3, 1-6)
- Sonay Kartal beat Cristian Bucsa (6-3, 7-6(8))
- (7) Jelena Ostapenko beat Oksana Selekhmeteva (5-7, 7-6(4), 6-2)
- Alexandra Eala beat Zeynep Sönmez (6-4, 6-3)
Day 3 — February 3 (Tuesday)
Women’s Singles Round 2
- (5) Liudmila Samsonova beat Janice Tjen (6-2, 6-2)
- (6) Leylah Fernandez lost to McCartney Kessler (6-3, 6-2)
- (4) Emma Navarro lost to Hailey Baptiste (6-7(6), 6-0, 3-6)
- (3) Clara Tauson beat Simona Waltert (6-3, 6-1)
Day 4 — February 4 (Wednesday)
Women’s Singles Round 2
- (2) Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Dayana Yastremska (6-3, 6-0)
- (7) Jelena Ostapenko lost to Sara Bejlek (4-6, 3-6)
- Alexandra Eala beat Aliaksandra Sasnovic (2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5))
Day 5 — February 4 (Thursday)
Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
- (3) Clara Tauson beat McCartney Kessler (6-3, 6-4)
- Sonay Kartal lost to Sara Bejlek (0-6, 2-6)
- (2) Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Alexandra Eala (6-3, 6-3)
- (5) Liudmila Samsonova lost to Hailey Baptiste (2-6, 6-4, 4-6)
Day 6 — February 5 (Friday)
Women’s Singles Semi-finals
- (2) Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Hailey Baptiste
- (3) Clara Tauson vs Sara Bejlek
When and where will WTA Abu Dhabi Open 2026 take place?
The WTA 500 event will be held at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre in Abu Dhabi from February 1 to 7.
Who is the defending champion at the WTA Abu Dhabi Open?
Belinda Bencic is the defending champion. However, she withdrew from the current edition due to illness.
Where can fans watch the WTA Abu Dhabi Open 2026 live?
In India, fans can watch the event on the Tennis Channel and WTA TV, via subscription. Meanwhile, in the UK, TNT Sports and Discovery+ hold the broadcast and streaming rights while ESPN will be showing the event live in the USA.
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Meet Fazeel—a bibliophile and sci-fi aficionado who devours books and movies alike. His favorite form of exercise? Watching tennis from a perfectly positioned couch. Whether he's lost in a gripping novel or absorbed in a five-hour Grand Slam final, he's all in. Favorite quote: “You cannot be serious” – John McEnroe.