Elena Rybakina poised for career first in Dubai as Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek withdraw

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The world number one and two are out of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships.

In a move few expected, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek both withdrew from the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Dubai.

“I am really sorry I have to withdraw from Dubai,” said Sabalenka.

“Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100%.”

“I am sorry to announce that I will not be playing Dubai this year due to a change of schedule,” added Swiatek.

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However, their loss is everyone else’s gain, as the rest of the WTA Tour now have a golden opportunity to win a ‘big’ title.

The new title favorite, Elena Rybakina, is now set for a career-first in Dubai…

Elena Rybakina will be the number-one seed for a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time

Before Sabalenka and Swiatek withdrew, Rybakina was seeded third for the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Now the pair have withdrawn, she’s been promoted to the one-seed.

The two-time Grand Slam champion has achieved plenty of success in her tennis career, but this will be the first time she’s played a WTA 1000 tournament as the top seed.

Elena Rybakina’s WTA 1000 seedings

Whether she can manage the added pressure of being the top seed remains to be seen.

It’s not just her own mental state that Rybakina will have to contend with, either, as even without Swiatek and Sabalenka, several big names will be joining her in Dubai.

Seeds at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships

• [1] Elena Rybakina
• [2] Amanda Anisimova
• [3] Coco Gauff
• [4] Jessica Pegula
• [5] Mirra Andreeva
• [6] Jasmine Paolini
• [7] Elina Svitolina
• [8] Ekaterina Alexandrova
• [9] Belinda Bencic
• [10] Linda Noskova
• [11] Victoria Mboko
• [12] Clara Tauson
• [13] Liudmila Samsonova
• [14] Emma Navarro
• [15] Karolina Muchova
• [16] Iva Jovic

Six of the names listed above have won WTA 1000 titles more recently than Rybakina (Last title – 2023 Italian Open).

• [2] Amanda Anisimova – 2025 Qatar Open, 2025 China Open
• [3] Coco Gauff – 2023 Cincinnati Open, 2024 China Open, 2025 Wuhan Open
• [4] Jessica Pegula – 2023 Canadian Open, 2024 Canadian Open
• [5] Mirra Andreeva – 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships, 2025 Indian Wells
• [6] Jasmine Paolini – 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships, 2025 Italian Open
• [11] Victoria Mboko – 2025 Canadian Open

Only time will tell if Rybakina can pick up her third WTA 1000 title, and her first since the 2023 Italian Open, in Dubai.

How well has Elena Rybakina performed at the Dubai Tennis Championships?

Statistically, the Dubai Tennis Championships are Rybakina’s most successful WTA 1000 event (tied with Qatar Open).

The Kazakh has won 80% of her matches in Dubai (8-2) and is a former semifinalist.

She is, however, yet to reach the final, coming closest a year ago when she made the final four.

Elena Rybakina at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships

After beating Moyuka Uchijima, Paula Badosa, and Sofia Kenin, Rybakina lost to Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals of the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships.

She is a different player now than she was then, though.

Midway through the 2025 season, Rybakina found her best tennis and has been riding that wave of momentum ever since.

The world number three won the Ningbo Open in October, the WTA Finals in November, and the Australian Open in January.

There’s certainly an argument to be made that Rybakina has been the best player in women’s tennis during that period.

And, with her two biggest challengers, Swiatek and Sabalenka, missing in Dubai, you wouldn’t want to bet against her adding another trophy to her collection.

The 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships begin on Monday, February 16.