After winning her fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Iga Swiatek was considered the best active women’s tennis player in the world. However, Swiatek has not won a tournament since Roland-Garros last June.
Compounding the pressure of not winning, Swiatek has had to battle off-the-court drama with her doping ban. Plus, she has shaken up her coaching staff and tweaked her game.
All the while, Aryna Sabalenka has seemingly caught up with Swiatek’s skill level. Sabalenka surpassed Swiatek as the World No. 1 last Fall and has been the most consistent player on tour.
If there was ever a time that Swiatek needed a title, it is now. Luckily, the Polish superstar is returning to a tournament that she has won the last three years.
Swiatek kicks off her campaign at the WTA 1000 Doha (called the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025 or Doha Open) this week with a first-round match against Maria Sakkari.
The Qatar Open is the first 1000-level WTA event of the season and features a loaded draw. Some of the top contenders include Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Qinwen Zheng, and many other competitive players.
While Swiatek is known for her dominance on clay, the hard-court tournament in Doha plays to her advantage. The conditions in Doha are extremely slow, the ball bounces high, and the wind can often be unpredictable.
Powerful players like Sabalenka can still succeed at the Qatar Open, but defending the baseline at a high level is an essential part of winning the Masters 1000 tournament.
Swiatek is currently the World No. 2 with a record of 9-2 this season. She lost to the eventual champion, Madison Keys, in the semifinals of the Australian Open in Melbourne last month. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated’s Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.
