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Mirra Andreeva achieved a range of impressive feats with her stunning straight-set upset of Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Championships.

The 17-year-old star prevailed 6-3, 6-3 over the five-time Grand Slam champion and world No 2 to advance to her maiden WTA 1000 semi-final.

In the first set, Andreeva broke Swiatek twice and fought off the four break points she faced in her opening two service games.

The world No 14 fell 1-3 down in the second set, but she reeled off five straight games to turn it around and seal her first win against Swiatek in the pair’s second encounter.

In her on-court interview, Andreeva said: “Honestly, I was really nervous before the match.

“We played in Cincinnati last year and it was pretty intense, so I just told myself that I played great [in our last match] and I just need to continue playing aggressive and active and go for my shots.

“It was also not easy with all the fans but I think we were even. I had a lot of people supporting, so thank you guys for supporting me today. It means a lot.”

Asked if she changed her game plan after chatting to her coach Conchita Martinez when trailing 1-3 in the second set, Andreeva said: “Honestly, I think she didn’t tell me anything new (laughs).

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“She told me everything I knew already, she just told me to keep going because I played good. And she just told me to go for my shots, that I don’t have to change anything, I just have to keep playing the same.

“But for me, honestly, it’s harder to keep playing the same than changing something, so I had a clear goal for this match and I think I was sticking with it until the end.”

At 17 years and 297 days, Andreeva has become the youngest player to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Championships since the tournament was first held in 2001.

The Russian, who will turn 18 on April 29, is the youngest woman to defeat multiple Grand Slam champions during a WTA 1000 event after she also downed 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova in the second round.

Andreeva is the youngest-ever player to defeat Swiatek and the only woman to achieve it before the age of 18.

The 17-year-old has also become the youngest WTA player to earn five wins over opponents ranked in the top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova reached the milestone at the age of 17 years and 273 days in 2007.

This was Andreeva’s second win against a world No 2 after she defeated Aryna Sabalenka — the current world No 1 — when the Belarusian was ranked second at the 2024 French Open.

Andreeva, who is yet to drop a set in Dubai, will face either Elena Rybakina or Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals.

READ NEXT: Elena Rybakina’s banned coach Stefano Vukov threatened to sue former world No 1

The post Stunning Mirra Andreeva statistics as she makes history with Iga Swiatek upset in Dubai appeared first on Tennis365.

Former British No 1 Laura Robson does not believe Novak Djokovic will be “overly bothered” about his opening round exit at the Qatar Open.

Robson, who now works as a tennis analyst and tournament director, believes Djokovic’s swift recovery from injury to play in Doha is “a huge positive sign.”

Djokovic fell to a convincing 7-6(4), 6-2 defeat to Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Qatar.

The Serbian great was playing his first event since sustaining a tear in his left hamstring at the Australian Open last month.

The 37-year-old suffered the injury during his pulsating four-set win against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.

Djokovic was then forced to retire due to the issue after losing the opening set of his semi-final contest with Alexander Zverev.

Some felt the Grand Slam record holder may be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but he defied such expectations to make a rapid return to action in Doha.

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In an interview with Eurosport, Robson explained why she is not concerned by Djokovic’s early exit in Doha.

“I think that’s the main positive for Novak, the fact that he’s feeling healthy on the court, again,” the former world No 27 said.

“The way that he finished in Australia. I’m sure it would have been tough for him to reset because he was playing some of his best tennis against Alcaraz, and then a couple of days later, it doesn’t go his way.

“So just at his age, to be able to rebound as quickly as he has, I think is a huge positive sign. I don’t know that he is overly bothered about losing early in Doha when you consider all the tournaments that he’s won and all his accolades in his career.

“I don’t know that he’ll take much time to get over this one. So I imagine he’s spoken about it in the past, that he really wants to focus on the fact that he wants to get to 25, and that’s the big goal for this year rather than a small ATP event in the Middle East.”

Djokovic also competed in doubles at the Qatar Open as he partnered former world No 7 Fernando Verdasco at the Spaniard’s last-ever tournament.

The duo hammered Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-1 in the first round before losing 7-5, 6-4 to second seeds Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in the last eight.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic reveals his toughest opponent and the two best moments of his career

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Former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs has revealed Elena Rybakina’s banned coach Stefano Vukov wanted to sue her for voicing concerns about his “very negative” coaching.

Rybakina and Vukov worked together for over five years until they parted ways in August 2024.

However, despite hiring Goran Ivanisevic as her coach at the end of last season, Rybakina divulged on January 1 that Vukov would be returning to her team this year.

The day after Rybakina’s surprise move, it emerged that Vukov had been provisionally suspended by the WTA Tour pending an investigation into a breach of their code of conduct.

The WTA announced last week that Vukov will remain banned from coaching the 2022 Wimbledon champion in an official capacity, with The Athletic reporting it is a one-year ban.

In a statement, the WTA said: “The WTA confirms that the independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct by Stefano Vukov has concluded.

“Following this process, the suspension remains in place. To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA Code of Conduct.”

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The Athletic has also reported shocking details of the “mental abuse” Rybakina was subjected to from Vukov and disclosed that the pair’s relationship was described as “toxic” in a letter by the WTA’s chief executive Portia Archer.

Rybakina has publicly maintained that Vukov “has never mistreated” her and she has expressed her disappointment at the ban.

Speaking on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Stubbs explained that Vukov “came after” her for saying things about him years ago that have since been proven to be true.

“He came after me and wanted to sue me, okay, for saying things about him that were true, that have been now investigated for years are now true,” the six-time Grand Slam doubles champion said.

“He has been banned for a year now because what I told them years ago has been now backed up by several other people who are in her actual team.

“I have seen him yelling at her, I could have been one of those witnesses. And I probably was one of those witnesses because they interviewed me years ago about him because I made comments on this podcast years ago about him.

“And I never said anything about him abusing her. I just said he was very negative. And I felt like with a positive coach, wow, how much better could she be? Imagine how good she could be with a really positive coach.

“And so, those are the comments I made about him. And then he actually contacted the WTA and wanted to come after me for making those comments.”

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff on Elena Rybakina, Stefano Vukov saga: ‘I know she doesn’t like the decision’

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Novak Djokovic has admitted it is becoming “more challenging” for him to take care of his body at this stage of his career after he lost on his return from injury at the Qatar Open.

The tennis icon was upset 7-6(4), 6-2 by world No 35 Matteo Berrettini in the opening round of the ATP 500 tournament in Doha.

The Serbian was unable to break Berrettini’s serve as the Italian delivered one of the finest performances of his career.

Berrettini, a former world No 6, had not beaten Djokovic in four previous encounters — including a showdown in the 2021 Wimbledon final.

Djokovic was playing his first singles match since a hamstring tear forced him to retire from his Australian Open semi-final match with Alexander Zverev last month.

The 37-year-old sustained the injury early in his four-set quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz at Melbourne Park.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s ability to avoid and recover from injuries has been remarkable for much of his career, but he has dealt with more physical issues in recent seasons.

Last year, Djokovic tore the medial meniscus in his right knee at the French Open but managed to recuperate from surgery in time to play at Wimbledon — where he reached the final. He then secured the Olympic gold medal in his next tournament.

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In his press conference after losing to Berrettini, Djokovic discussed how he is still trying to improve as a player and also addressed his recent increase in injuries.

“I am trying to improve my game, as everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically,” he explained.

“I’m not going to play serve and volley, maybe every once in a while, but my game is what it is, the core is going to be the same. I’m going to try to adjust depending on the surface that I play on and so forth.

“There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it’s more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances.”

Berrettini gave his reaction to Djokovic describing his performance as a masterclass.

“I think he told me at the net at the end,” the 28-year-old said. “But everyone was screaming and I was trying to tell him that I had finally beaten him (laughs). We spoke in Italian and I was very happy.

“I think I heard him say that, but at the time I didn’t quite understand. It’s obviously a huge honour when someone like him says that about your game. I really think it was one of the best matches of my career. I felt good from the first point.

“But against Novak, you know you’re going to have to maintain that level for potentially two or three hours. I had prepared for it and I’m very proud of my performance. The more the match went on, the more I felt good about it. In general, it’s a good sign.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic makes ‘no excuse’ admission about Qatar Open defeat

The post Novak Djokovic makes ‘more challenging’ confession as he addresses suffering ‘more injuries’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Iga Swiatek has weighed in on the concerning safety incident involving Emma Raducanu at the Dubai Championships and divulged that she avoided a “scary” fan experience of her own in the past.

The incident took place early in Raducanu‘s 6-7(6), 4-6 loss to Karolina Muchova in the second round of the WTA 1000 event on Tuesday.

After losing the second game of the match, a visibly distressed Raducanu spoke to the umpire before she hid behind the official’s chair while crying.

Muchova consoled Raducanu, while the umpire spoke to security officials and the tournament supervisor on her walkie-talkie and had a lengthy discussion with both players before the match resumed.

The WTA has since revealed that a man first approached Raducanu in public on Monday and that the same individual was removed from her match with Muchova.

A statement from the WTA Tour read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

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“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.

“We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

In her press conference after beating Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-0 to reach the Dubai quarter-finals, Swiatek discussed the Raducanu incident and shared a similar experience she had.

“We were able to avoid one, like, incident that might have been scary back in the day when I was hosting my own event in Poland,” the world No 2 explained.

“Yeah, there are fans that are kind of, I don’t know, everywhere. But I’m pretty sure that they don’t have any bad intentions.

“Obviously, you know, we are public persons, so we should always keep our eyes open and ready to react if we feel uncomfortable. I’m sure it must have been tough for Emma.

“I know the WTA banned this person from going on-site anywhere on any tournament. So I guess the reaction was pretty solid.

“I like that because it’s WTA’s kind of responsibility to keep us safe, for that environment to be safe for us. I guess with their help it’s fine. But, yeah, it’s hard probably to avoid these situations before.”

The five-time Grand Slam champion also revealed she is conscious of her safety with the way she uses social media.

“I try for my Instagram feed to be up to date and everything,” the 23-year-old Pole added.

“But yeah, sometimes we are posting one day after I left someplace or just after, I don’t know, the event and everything.

“On the other hand, it’s kind of natural anyway because then you have photos to post. I guess it’s all about the timing and also if I stay in a nice hotel and I know that I’m going to be there for a longer time, it’s also nice for this hotel to be ready to accommodate us in a way that it’s safe, getting some, I don’t know, different entrance, yeah.

“But it all depends on the situation, I guess. Usually people are helpful with that because they understand that I’m in a situation where I’m kind of exposed.”

READ NEXT: Top 7 players in WTA Rankings’ last back-to-back defeats: Iga Swiatek hasn’t lost two in a row in 200+ matches

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Emma Raducanu has given her first statement since an incident during her match in Dubai – where a man exhibited ‘fixated behaviour’ – left her in tears, calling the incident a ‘distressing experience’.’

During her first-round match at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, at 2-0 down in the first set to Karolina Muchova, Raducanu appeared in tears whilst she was speaking to the umpire. The Brit stood behind the umpire’s chair as Muchova consoled her.

It later emerged that a man in the crowd, who had already approached the Brit the day prior, was displaying ‘fixated behaviour’ towards her, leading to her emotional state.

The crowd member was duly removed from the stands by the tournament officials.

“Thank you for the messages of support,” the Brit stated. “Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.

“Thank you to Karolina [Muchova] for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”

In the end, the Czech was victorious 7-6(6), 6-4 against the 2021 US Open champion in their opening round match in Dubai.

Shortly after the incident, the WTA released an official statement on the matter: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected.

“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.”

The association went on to state: “The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support. We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

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Raducanu’s statement comes amidst a past battle against a man who received a five-year restraining order and was sentenced to ‘community service’ for stalking her.

During a 2022 court case, it was heard that this man walked for 23 miles towards the then-teenager’s home, before leaving various notes and stealing her father’s shoes.

After the man was sentenced, Raducanu stated: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.

“Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.”

Emma Raducanu is next scheduled to play at Indian Wells, which will be held from March 2–16.

The post ‘Difficult experience’ – Emma Raducanu speaks for first time since distressing Dubai incident appeared first on Tennis365.

More shocking details have emerged about Stefano Vukov’s behaviour towards Elena Rybakina, which prompted the WTA to ban the Croatian coach.

Concerning incidents of Vukov’s conduct towards Rybakina first made headlines at the 2024 Australian Open as he was seen shouting at her several times during matches.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner publicly defended her mentor, but she missed several tournaments over the next few months due to illness and injury.

Then on the eve of the US Open, they dropped a bombshell as Rybakina announced she had parted ways with Vukov – who had been her coach since 2019 – and not long after the WTA announced they would be launching an investigation into the Croatian’s behaviour.

Former world No 2 Goran Ivanisevic then joined Rybakina’s staff during the off-season, but Vukov returned to the fray for the Australian Open and Ivanisevic announced his departure not long after.

The WTA’s inquiry was concluded recently and it was confirmed that Vukov would be banned for one year with several disturbing details revealed in the initial report by The Athletic.

Vukov is said to have called the tennis player “stupid” and “retarded” while he also stated she would still be in Russia “picking potatoes” without him.

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But the publication has since released more information about events leading up to last year’s US Open after Rubakina parted ways with him.

It is reported that: “Told by a member of Rybakina’s team that he had been dismissed as her coach and to leave her alone, Vukov instead walked the lobby and hallways of her Manhattan hotel. He flooded her phone with text messages and more than 100 calls — according to sources with personal and professional relationships with Rybakina who were present at the hotel — as he sought another chance to convince Rybakina that her tennis career could not thrive without him.”

Several members of Rybakinas’s inner circle stated their concerns to WTA officials about the player as “they feared for the safety of the 2022 Wimbledon champion”.

A letter from WTA chief executive Portia Archer stated that she “also received an email from Rybakina’s mother requesting that he not make her daughter cry, and refused to coach her at one event as a result. The investigation also concluded that Vukov had violated the WTA’s no-contact directive, with Archer writing that he continued to ‘brazenly defy it even as this letter is penned’.”

The 37-year-old Vukov maintains that he hasn’t done anything wrong, but is yet to confirm if he will appeal against the ban.

The Athletic report claims that the relationship between coach and player “had become personal and romantic” as “Archer’s letter also noted the shift in their relationship. It said there was evidence that they stayed in the same hotel room in Melbourne for the Australian Open and that ‘there is increasing evidence that you are now involved in a romantic relationship’.”

Rybakina is yet to comment on the latest revelations as she previously just stated: “I’m just disappointed with the situation and how the process went. I’m not going to comment much on that any more.”

The post Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov saga: Wimbledon champion’s mother asked ‘that he not make her daughter cry’ appeared first on Tennis365.

The WTA has confirmed there was a safety incident involving Emma Raducanu at the Dubai Tennis Championship following a shocking incident early in her match against Karolina Muchova.

The 2021 US Open winner took on the 14th-seeded Czech in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament on Tuesday, but the encounter was marred by an odd event as early as the third game.

A visibly upset and emotional Raducanu approached the chair umpire and after exchanging a few words, she then went to hide behind the official’s chair.

Muchova then walks over for an explanation before also moving behind the official’s chair to console her young opponent.

After chatting with the tournament director and security officials via her walkie-talkie, the umpire climbs down from her chair to have an extended discussion with both players.

Both players then return to their benches and Raducanu was clearly in distress and could be seen wiping away tears with her towel.

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The match eventually resumes and the 22-year-old British player struggles in the next few games as Muchova opens a 4-0 lead, but she finds her rhythm again to take the opening set to a tie-breaker.

The Czech, though, held firm in the tie-breaker and eventually claimed a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 victory in just over two hours.

The WTA has since issued more details about events leading up to Tuesday’s match as it revealed that a man first approached Raducanu in public on Monday and the same individual was then removed from the match.

A statement from the WTA Tour read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.

“We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

here is the situation https://t.co/z4Vl23j9DL pic.twitter.com/2C4K2oAEgC

— Lisa ‍ (@lisa_talking) February 18, 2025

There has been no statement yet from Raducanu, but she was stalked as a teenager with a man “five-year restraining order and sentenced to community service” in 2022.

The then 19-year-old admitted: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.”

Following her exit from the Dubai event, Raducanu is set to return home to the UK before heading to the United States in early March for the Sunshine Double with the Indian Wells Open starting on 5 March before the Miami Open gets underway on 18 March.

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Emma Raducanu’s second-round match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships was briefly held up and the British player was clearly upset and crying following an incident.

But what happened?

The WTA has now confirmed that there was a security incident involving “a man who exhibited fixated behaviour” and officials have launched a full investigation while they have also vowed to ensure Raducanu and her team’s “well-being and provide any necessary support” during the rest of their stay in the United Arab Emirates.

The individual first approached Raducanu on Monday in a public area and the WTA revealed: “This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected.”

The WTA 1000 match got off to a later than planned start as it was delayed due to poor weather in and around the Aviation Club Tennis Centre.

Raducanu was broken in the second game of the match as Muchova opened a 2-0 lead and after the lost game the 22-year-old went over to the chair umpire and had a brief discussion.

The world No 61 was in distress and then worryingly went to hide behind the umpire chair. The official then chats via her walkie talking to other presumably the tournament director and security.

Muchova approaches Raducanu to see what is going on and then consoles her rival.

The official then gets off her chair and also chats with Raducanu who then returns to her bench wiping away tears with her towel.

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The encounter was held up for several minutes and Muchova held her own serve before breaking Raducanu’s serve again for a 4-0 lead.

But the 2021 US Open winner managed to regain her composure and broke in game five and again in game nine to take the opening set via the tie-breaker.

She then opened a 5-4 lead and had a set point at 6-5, but this time Muchova held firm and turned things around to win the tie-breaker 8-6.

Raducanu was broken in the opening game of the second set and this time Muchova didn’t relinquish her advantage as she went on to win 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in two hours and four minutes.

Previous stalker case

It was a brave performance from Raducanu given the circumstances and it should not be forgotten that the 2021 US Open winner was stalked as a teenager and a man was given a “five-year restraining order and sentenced to community service”.

During a 2022 court case, it was heard that the man walked 23 miles to Raducanu’s home, took her father’s shoe as a souvenir and at one point left a note telling her he “deserved love”.

After the man was sentenced, Raducanu issued the following statement: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.

“Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.”

There is no doubt this contributed to Raducanu feeling unsafe and “constantly looking over her shoulder” during the Dubai incident.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu under-fire despite following advice of her critics

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Iga Swiatek set and equalled a pair of records that illustrate her outstanding consistency with her opening victory at the Dubai Championships.

The world No 2 steamrolled two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka in her first match at the WTA 1000 event after a lengthy rain delay.

Swiatek broke the 35-year-old Belarusian six times and lost serve only once in a contest lasting an hour and 13 minutes.

The five-time major champion has improved her record against Azarenka, a former world No 1 who is currently ranked 34th, to 4-1.

In an on-court interview, Swiatek paid tribute to Azarenka’s career.

“She’s a legend. I have so much respect for her,” she said. “Her career is outstanding and she’s still playing super good, so I just wanted to be ready.

“And we played couple of times, so I was aware of how she plays, but yeah, I was ready for everything. I’m happy that I was solid and just focused and in the zone.”

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Asked what she did during the rain delay, Swiatek said: “I just read a book. I got a quick nap. I started doing some legos. Then unfortunately I had to go and play… so legos had to wait (smiling).”

Swiatek now holds the highest win rate of any player in opening matches at WTA 1000 tournaments (90.9%) since the format was introduced in 2009. Her last loss in an opening WTA 1000 match was a defeat to Ons Jabeur at the 2022 Cincinnati Open.

The 23-year-old has won her first match at 51 consecutive tournaments, which makes her only the second woman this century after Kim Clijsters to accomplish this.

Swiatek, who is a 10-time WTA 1000 titlist, is aiming to win the Dubai Championships for the first time. She was a runner-up at the tournament in 2023 and a semi-finalist last year.

READ NEXT: WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka widens gap to Iga Swiatek; Amanda Anisimova’s milestone, Naomi Osaka -10

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