Grand Slam semifinalist’s season goes from bad to worse and withdraws from another two tournaments

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With the Australian Open done and dusted, the stars of the WTA Tour are off to the Middle East for tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

Several big names have already dropped out of the first WTA 1000 event of the season, though, including Aryna Sabalenka, who withdrew from the Qatar Open.

Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Naomi Osaka will also miss the Qatar Open, which begins next week.

But who else will skip the Qatar Open?

A recent Grand Slam semifinalist will miss both the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships, as her torrid 2026 campaign gets even worse.

Lois Boisson withdraws from the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships

France’s Lois Boisson shocked tennis fans last year when she qualified for the semifinals of Roland Garros.

Having been ranked 361st in the world before the tournament began, she left Paris ranked 65th.

Carrying that momentum forward, Boisson won her maiden WTA title shortly after, at the Hamburg Open, on clay.

Lois Boisson at the 2025 Hamburg Open

• 2025 Hamburg Open 1R [WIN] vs Julia Grabher, 6-1, 6-3
• 2025 Hamburg Open 2R [WIN] vs Tamara Korpatsch, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4
• 2025 Hamburg Open QF [WIN] vs Viktoriya Tomova, 6-3, 6-3
• 2025 Hamburg Open SF [WIN] vs Dayana Yastremska, 6-1, 7-6
• 2025 Hamburg Open F [WIN] vs Anna Bondar, 7-5, 6-3

She now sits 34th in the world rankings, but for all her newfound success, she hasn’t enjoyed herself on tour recently.

The Frenchwoman, struggling with injury, missed the first Grand Slam of the year, as Boisson was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open.

She had hoped to return to full fitness in time for the two WTA 1000 events in the Middle East, but it wasn’t to be.

Boisson has withdrawn from both events, according to the WTA website.

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“World No. 34 Lois Boisson has pulled out of Doha with a leg injury. She’ll also miss Dubai,” they said.

It’s unclear when and where Boisson will return to action, but it’ll certainly be something to keep an eye on.

Who won the Qatar Open last year?

In 2025, Amanda Anisimova won the Qatar Open, defeating Jelena Ostapenko in the final.

The win propelled Anisimova to a career-best year, reaching two major finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open.

She added a second WTA 1000 title to her trophy cabinet later that year in Beijing.

Every 2025 WTA 1000 winner

That’s not to say the winner of this year’s Qatar Open is guaranteed the same success, but it can certainly work as a springboard for greatness.

But with all the withdrawals, who is actually in the running to win the title?

Top 16 seeds at the 2026 Qatar Open

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

The top four seeds: Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, and Coco Gauff, all look like real title contenders.

As do the next four: Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, Belinda Bencic, and Elina Svitolina.

There is a real strength in depth in the women’s game right now, which is great news for fans.

Even when some of the biggest names drop out, there are still plenty of mouthwatering ties to look forward to.

Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in Doha, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

The 2026 Qatar Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 9.