📑Table of Contents:
- Who Played in the Dubai Tennis Championships 2026?
- Who Were the Top WTA Players in Dubai 2026?
- Which Other Women Played in Dubai?
- Did Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek Play Dubai 2026?
- Who Won the Women’s Dubai Tennis Championship in 2026?
- Who Were the Top ATP Players in Dubai 2026?
- Which Former Dubai Champions Played in 2026?
- Which Other ATP Players Were Worth Watching?
- What Happened to Jack Draper?
- Who Won the Men’s Dubai Tennis Championship in 2026?
- Why Was the Dubai 2026 Player Field So Strong?
- Dubai Tennis 2026 Players: The Final Overview
The Dubai tennis 2026 player lineup brought many of the world’s leading men and women to the United Arab Emirates for two consecutive weeks of high-level hard-court tennis. The women competed first at the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships from February 15–21, while the men followed with the ATP 500 event from February 23–28.
Among the biggest names were Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev.
The tournament field mixed established champions with younger contenders and returning stars. Jessica Pegula eventually captured the women’s title, while Daniil Medvedev won the men’s tournament.
Who Played in the Dubai Tennis Championships 2026?
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships featured separate WTA and ATP tournaments at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
The women’s event held WTA 1000 status and included a 56-player singles draw. Meanwhile, the men competed in an ATP 500 tournament with a 32-player main draw.
So, searching for “Dubai tennis 2026 players” can return two different lists, depending on whether you want the WTA or ATP event.
The Headline Singles Players Included:
| WTA Players | ATP Players |
|---|---|
| Elena Rybakina | Felix Auger-Aliassime |
| Amanda Anisimova | Alexander Bublik |
| Coco Gauff | Daniil Medvedev |
| Jessica Pegula | Jack Draper |
| Mirra Andreeva | Andrey Rublev |
| Jasmine Paolini | Jakub Mensik |
| Elina Svitolina | Karen Khachanov |
| Ekaterina Alexandrova | Jiri Lehecka |
However, both draws included many additional recognizable players.
Who Were the Top WTA Players in Dubai 2026?
Elena Rybakina entered Dubai as the No. 1 seed. Amanda Anisimova followed as the second seed, while Coco Gauff occupied the No. 3 position.
Jessica Pegula entered as the fourth seed, and defending 2025 champion Mirra Andreeva received the No. 5 seed.
The Top Eight Were:
- Elena Rybakina
- Amanda Anisimova
- Coco Gauff
- Jessica Pegula
- Mirra Andreeva
- Jasmine Paolini
- Elina Svitolina
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
Additionally, Belinda Bencic, Linda Noskova, Victoria Mboko, Clara Tauson, Liudmila Samsonova, Emma Navarro, Karolina Muchova and Iva Jovic completed the 16 seeded positions.
As a result, the field offered considerable depth even before considering the dangerous unseeded players.
Which Other Women Played in Dubai?
The unseeded field contained several players capable of upsetting a seed.
Emma Raducanu competed in the main draw, as did Paula Badosa, Barbora Krejcikova, Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin and Daria Kasatkina.
Moreover, Leylah Fernandez, Diana Shnaider, Anna Kalinskaya and Alexandra Eala added further depth.
Eala produced one of the notable runs of the week by reaching the quarterfinals, where Coco Gauff defeated her.
Meanwhile, qualifiers and lucky losers also had opportunities because changes to the original field opened places in the draw.
Did Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek Play Dubai 2026?
No. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek did not compete in the final 2026 Dubai women’s draw.
Both appeared on the official draw documentation as withdrawals.
Therefore, although Dubai still featured a strong collection of top-ranked players, the final field did not include two of the biggest stars in women’s tennis.
Their absence also changed the seeding structure. Consequently, Rybakina became the top seed, while Anisimova and Gauff moved into prominent positions near the top of the draw.
Who Won the Women’s Dubai Tennis Championship in 2026?
Jessica Pegula won the women’s singles title.
The American defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 in the final, securing her 10th WTA singles title and fourth at WTA 1000 level.
Moreover, Pegula had to overcome Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals after dropping the opening set.
Svitolina also enjoyed an impressive tournament. She defeated Coco Gauff in a dramatic three-hour semifinal, eventually winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
As a result, the final featured the No. 4 seed against the No. 7 seed rather than the highest-ranked players in the original draw.
Who Were the Top ATP Players in Dubai 2026?
Felix Auger-Aliassime entered the men’s tournament as the top seed after finishing runner-up in Dubai in 2025.
Alexander Bublik received the No. 2 seed, while former Dubai champion Daniil Medvedev entered at No. 3.
Jack Draper returned to ATP Tour action as the fourth seed after a lengthy injury-related absence. Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev, another former Dubai champion, occupied the fifth position.
The Full Top Eight Were:
- Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Alexander Bublik
- Daniil Medvedev
- Jack Draper
- Andrey Rublev
- Jakub Mensik
- Karen Khachanov
- Jiri Lehecka
Consequently, the ATP tournament offered a strong combination of hard-court specialists, established champions and younger contenders.
Which Former Dubai Champions Played in 2026?
Five former men’s champions entered the ATP draw.
Daniil Medvedev had previously won Dubai in 2023, while Andrey Rublev captured the title in 2022. Ugo Humbert won in 2024, and Stefanos Tsitsipas entered as the defending champion in 2025.
Additionally, Stan Wawrinka returned as a wild card. The Swiss veteran won the tournament in 2016 and was competing in the final season of his ATP career.
Interestingly, Tsitsipas and Humbert faced each other immediately in the opening round. As a result, one recent Dubai champion had to disappear from the draw almost immediately.
Which Other ATP Players Were Worth Watching?
Tallon Griekspoor became one of the tournament’s biggest stories.
The Dutch player entered outside the seeded positions but defeated No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik in the second round. Moreover, he later beat Rublev 7-5, 7-6 in the semifinal to reach the championship match.
Other notable competitors included Arthur Fils, Hubert Hurkacz, Jenson Brooksby, Zhang Zhizhen and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Additionally, qualifying brought players such as Pablo Carreno Busta into the main draw.
As a result, the field included dangerous opponents well beyond the top eight seeds.
What Happened to Jack Draper?
Jack Draper’s participation attracted attention because Dubai marked his return to regular ATP Tour competition after a long injury interruption.
The British player had ended his 2025 season early and had played limited competitive tennis before Dubai.
He won his opening match. However, Arthur Rinderknech defeated him in the second round.
Nevertheless, simply returning to an ATP 500 draw represented an important stage in Draper’s comeback.
Who Won the Men’s Dubai Tennis Championship in 2026?
Daniil Medvedev won the 2026 men’s title, although the tournament ended unusually.
Medvedev defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinal. Meanwhile, Griekspoor defeated Rublev to reach the final.
However, Griekspoor injured his left hamstring during that semifinal victory. Medical scans later showed the injury was serious enough to keep him out of the final.
As a result, Griekspoor withdrew, and Medvedev won by walkover.
The victory gave Medvedev his second Dubai title after his 2023 triumph. Moreover, it marked the first time in his career that he won the same ATP Tour tournament twice.
Why Was the Dubai 2026 Player Field So Strong?
Dubai occupies an important place in the early-season tennis calendar.
The outdoor hard courts fit naturally into the Middle East swing, while significant ranking points and prize money attract high-level fields.
Moreover, many players use Dubai as part of their transition toward the major hard-court events at Indian Wells and Miami.
The women’s tournament carried WTA 1000 status, making it particularly important. Meanwhile, the ATP 500 event gave men a valuable opportunity to earn points against elite opposition.
Dubai Tennis 2026 Players: The Final Overview
The Dubai Tennis 2026 lineup featured an impressive combination of current stars, former champions, rising players and experienced veterans.
On the women’s side, Rybakina, Anisimova, Gauff, Pegula and Andreeva led the field, while Svitolina ultimately joined Pegula in the final.
Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime, Bublik, Medvedev, Draper and Rublev headlined the ATP event. Griekspoor produced the surprise run of the men’s week before injury prevented him from contesting the final.
Ultimately, Jessica Pegula and Daniil Medvedev left Dubai as the 2026 singles champions.
However, the depth of both draws made the tournament about far more than its winners. From Grand Slam champions and former Dubai winners to qualifiers and emerging stars, the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships once again brought a remarkably broad selection of elite tennis players to the UAE.
