Several top players impressed in the Middle East this year at the Qatar Open, Dubai Tennis Championships, and Abu Dhabi Open.
But the events haven’t gone by without issue.
Mass withdrawals affected the two WTA 1000 events.
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, the world’s top two players, both skipped the Dubai Tennis Championships, much to the annoyance of tournament director Salah Talak.
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Everybody made their feelings heard on the issue, but there’s a bigger problem affecting tennis in the Middle East that nobody seems to want to talk about.
33 years since the Dubai Tennis Championships and Qatar Open were founded, neither nation has produced a quality player…
All five local wild cards lost at the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships
Across the ATP and WTA Tours, five players from Qatar and the UAE were awarded wild cards to either play the main draw or qualifying events in 2026.
| Tournament | ATP/WTA | Wild Card | Name |
| Qatar Open | ATP | Main Draw | Mubarak Shannan Zayid |
| Qatar Open | ATP | Qualifying | Ghanim Al Sulaiti |
| Qatar Open | WTA | Qualifying | Hind Al-Mudakha |
| Qatar Open | WTA | Qualifying | Mubaraka Al-Naimi |
| Dubai Tennis Championships | ATP | Qualifying | Abdulrahman Al Janahi |
Only one wild card was given to an Emirati player in Dubai, Abdulrahman Al Janahi.
In the first round of qualifying, Al Janahi met the big-serving German, Jan-Lennard Struff.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the unranked 31-year-old only won one game against Struff, in a comprehensive, 6-0, 6-1 defeat.
The Qataris didn’t fare much better…
Two locals received WTA qualifying wild cards, Hind Al-Mudakha and Mubaraka Al-Naimi.
Al-Mudakha lost to Argentina’s Solana Sierra, 6-1, 6-0, and Al-Naimi lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia, 6-0, 6-0.
The men’s qualifying wild card went to Ghanim Al Sulaiti, but he, too, failed to impress, losing 6-0, 6-1 to Shintaro Mochizuki.
All eyes turned to Mubarak Shannan Zayid, the best Qatari tennis player alive, to save the day.
The only Qatari or Emirati player to compete in the main draw of either tournament this year faced an out-of-form Alexei Popyrin in his opener.
But he couldn’t get the job done.
Or even come close…
Shannan Zayid lost to Popyrin 6-0, 6-2.
Across the two biggest tournaments in the Middle East, the local wild cards went 0-5 in 2026.
And that flatters them.
The Qataris and Emiratis went 0-10 in sets and 5-60 in games.
Poor performances by locals aren’t a new phenomenon, though, as in the 33-year history of the two events, not one wild card from Qatar or the UAE has won a match.
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The same would likely be said about the Abu Dhabi Open (formed in 2021), but they have yet to offer an Emirati player a wild card.
For whatever reason, neither country has produced a player who is even close to ATP or WTA Tour level.
Why is this a problem?
Let us explain…
When you see empty seats at the tournaments in the Middle East and wonder why, there’s your why!
With no local heroes worth supporting, it’s tricky for some fans to become invested in the sport.
Look at the Philippines.
Alex Eala’s success has transformed tennis into one of the most popular sports in the nation.
The new Philippines Women’s Open was a huge hit earlier this year, and they have Eala to thank for it.
Would thousands of fans have flocked to Manila to watch a few local wild cards lose 6-0, 6-0? Probably not.
Without any genuine contenders from Qatar or the UAE, neither tournament will maximise their full potential.
For now, this problem is limited to those two events, but that won’t be the case for long.
Saudi Arabian Masters 1000 event will struggle to sell tickets for this exact reason
From 2028, the ATP Tour will add a new Masters 1000 event to the calendar in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia have already hosted two competitive tennis events, the WTA Finals and the Next Gen Finals.
Both events have received criticism for their lack of fan support.
When announcing the new Saudi Arabian Masters tournament, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said the following.
“This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making,” said Gaudenzi.
“Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis – not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels.”
Gaudenzi claims Saudi Arabia is committed to growing tennis at all levels, but we’ll believe it when we see it…
When the first-ever Saudi Arabian Masters tournament takes place in 2028, will we see three Saudis losing 6-0, 6-0, or will we see them inspire a generation with shock wins against the ATP Tour’s best?
Looking at what’s happened in the other Middle Eastern tournaments, there’s only one answer.
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