Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek pull out from the Dubai Tennis Championships, leaving the second WTA 1000 of the year without the world's top-2 players.
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will be missing the WTA's two biggest stars.
World no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and world no. 2 Iga Swiatek have withdrawn from the WTA 1000 tournament set to begin on Sunday, February 15.
Swiatek announced her decision through a statement posted on the tournament’s website, citing a scheduling change.
The six-time Grand Slam champion is coming off a quarterfinals loss to Maria Sakkari at the Qatar Open earlier this week.
“I am sorry to announce that I will not be playing Dubai this year due to a change of schedule. I hope I will come back next year to experience the great tournament. See you guys in Indian Wells,” Swiatek said.
Sabalenka, who reached the Australian Open Finals last month, said she is not fully healthy and will not be able to compete.
The world no. 1 has not played since falling to Elena Rybakina in the Melbourne finale.
“I’m really sorry I have to withdraw from Dubai. I have such a special connection with the tournament, the fans and the city. Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100 percent,” Sabalenka bared.
With Sabalenka and Swiatek out, no. 3 Rybakina will be the highest-ranked player in the field, followed by Americans Amanda Anisimova and Coco Gauff.
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala, meanwhile, gained a main draw slot and is slated to make her tournament debut next week.
[RELATED: Alex Eala gets main draw spot for Dubai Tennis Championships]
As of this writing, qualifiers are ongoing and the full schedule is yet to be announced.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.