World’s top 20 confirmed for Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will lead a strong field at the 2026 WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. (Supplied)
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Updated 16 January 2026
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World’s top 20 confirmed for Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

  • Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and defending champion Mirra Andreeva headline the 26th premier women’s tournament
  • WTA 1000 event runs from Feb. 15-21, followed by the 34th ATP 500 tournament from Feb. 23-28

DUBAI: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships returns in 2026 with one of the strongest WTA 1000 line-ups in its history, featuring all of the world’s top 20 players for the Women’s Week from Feb. 15-21.

The 2026 field features a complete set of top-ranked stars, including World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, World No. 3 Coco Gauff, and World No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, alongside Elena Rybakina (No. 5), Jessica Pegula (No. 6), Jasmine Paolini (No. 7), 2025 champion Mirra Andreeva (No. 8), Madison Keys (No. 9) and Belinda Bencic (No. 10).

Leading the charge is Sabalenka, who returns to Dubai after a standout 2025 season highlighted by her US Open triumph, where the Belarusian claimed her fourth career Grand Slam title and secured a second consecutive win in New York. Reinforcing her position at the top of the women’s game, Sabalenka has started the 2026 season in fine form by retaining her title at the Brisbane International without dropping a set.

Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek also returns following another exceptional season in which the Polish star captured the 2025 Wimbledon title and reached multiple WTA 1000 finals, finishing the year with one of the highest win percentages on tour.

Joining them is Gauff, who enjoyed a defining 2025 campaign with her French Open victory, the second Grand Slam title of her career and first on clay. The American 21-year-old also added a Masters 1000 trophy in Cincinnati and reached the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and US Open grand slams, closing the year inside the top three for the first time.

Defending champion Andreeva had a breakthrough season in 2025, which saw her secure a historic triumph in Dubai, making her the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history. The 18-year-old Russian followed that success with two Grand Slam quarter-finals and a rapid rise into the world’s top 15. She arrives in Dubai looking to defend the title that launched her onto the global stage.

“We are delighted to welcome all of the top 20 women’s players once again,” said Ramesh Cidambi, managing director of Dubai Duty Free and chairman of the organising committee. “The depth of talent committed for 2026 reflects the status of this event on the global tennis calendar. Dubai has become an essential stop for the world’s best players, and we look forward to another exceptional week of world-class tennis.”

The line-up also includes talents such as World No. 12 and two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina, as well as Canada’s World No. 17 Victoria Mboko, whose breakthrough performances propelled her into the world’s top 20 for the first time. Their presence adds further depth to a roster that cements Dubai’s position as one of the most competitive stops on the WTA calendar.

Salah Tahlak, tournament director and deputy managing director of Dubai Duty Free, said of the line-up: “Women’s tennis continues to set new standards for competitiveness and quality. With the top 20 players confirmed, spectators can expect compelling matches from the opening day. Each year our WTA event delivers incredible moments, and 2026 promises to be no different.”

The 2026 Championships will run back-to-back once again, with the women’s WTA 1000 event from Feb. 15-21 and the men’s ATP 500 tournament from Feb. 23-28.


DeChambeau, Crushers GC lead LIV Singapore at halfway mark

Updated 13 March 2026
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DeChambeau, Crushers GC lead LIV Singapore at halfway mark

  • A second-round 6-under 65 has DeChambeau at 10-under through 36 holes

SINGAPORE: Entering Friday, Bryson DeChambeau is tied atop a bunched leaderboard at Aramco LIV Golf Singapore.

After shooting the round of the week, a second-round six-under 65, he sits at 10-under through 36 holes. The Crushers GC captain enters the weekend with a three-shot lead.

After beginning his second round with back-to-back pars, he birdied the third, fourth and eighth holes, making the turn in 32 strokes. His back nine was smooth-sailing until the par-four 15th, when he overdrew an iron off the tee into the harbor.

After taking a drop, he scrambled for a hard-earned bogey, protecting his lead in the process. And bounced back immediately, making a birdie on the 16th. For the round, he finished with a total of six birdies, an eagle and the lone bogey on 15.

“Focus on my golf, what I can control,” said DeChambeau of his mindset.

“I know it’s cliche, but you can’t get too wrapped up with what everybody else is doing and making sure I’m starting it on my lines the way I need to and rolling the putts on my lines like I need to. Barring that, I think I can give myself a good chance.”

DeChambeau’s closest competitors are three shots back at seven-under and include Thomas Detry, Jon Rahm, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Richard T. Lee.

Detry of 4Aces GC is fresh off a runner-up finish at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong and has carried that momentum into Singapore. His round included a chip-in eagle on the 18th hole (his 16th of the day) off the back of the green from 37 meters away.

The Belgian remains confident heading into the final two rounds. “I’m up for the challenge,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge out there, so anything under par is pretty good, and I managed to do that pretty well.”

Hong Kong winner Rahm continues to lurk dangerously on the leaderboard. The Legion XIII captain made 11 consecutive pars from holes five to 17 before finishing his round with a birdie on the par-five 18th to finish at seven-under.

“I played really good today. Felt like I played actually significantly better than yesterday, just little margins,” Rahm said. “Couldn’t really make many putts out there today. Made that one on six and from then on missed a lot of birdie chances.”

Oosthuizen shot a four-under 67 that included six birdies and two bogeys. The Southern Guards GC captain has been fueled by a hot putter and ranks fifth in the field in Strokes Gained Putting at the halfway stage.

“I tried to give myself as many birdie putts as possible,” said Oosthuizen. “I felt I saw the greens really good today, the lines, and rolled the putter really good.”

Westwood, in just his second start after returning from a wrist injury, continues to play steady golf. The Majesticks Golf Club co-captain shot a three-under 68 that included five birdies and two bogeys.

Lee, who is looking to become the first LIV Golf Wild Card to finish better than 12th in a tournament, shot a three-under 68.

Matthew Wolff, Marc Leishman and Charles Howell III all shot three-under 68s as well and are four shots back of DeChambeau at six-under.

On the team leaderboard, the Crushers GC surged to the top after carding a cumulative 10-under for the day. They hold a three-shot lead over the first-round leaders, Legion XIII.

The champions from Hong Kong, 4Aces GC, are just one shot back of Legion XIII and four shots behind the Crushers.