Third-seeded Coco Gauff will face Anna Kalinskaya in the second round of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships. Gauff enters the tournament on the back of some vulnerable form, whereas Kalinskaya has notched some strong wins of her own. The American received a bye into the second round due to her seeding, while the Russian began her campaign with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Jelena Ostapenko in the first round.
Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya Match Details
Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships 2026
Round: Second Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai, UAE
Surface: Outdoor hard
Category:Â WTA 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, RDS, Sky Sports
Gauff vs Kalinskaya Head-to-Head
The head-to-head is 1-0 in favor of Kalinskaya. The only meeting between the two came at this same event two years ago, where the Russian defeated Gauff 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Gauff began her year with a solid campaign at the United Cup, which included a loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro but wins over the likes of Maria Sakkari and Iga Świątek. Despite not playing her best tennis, the American reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, with notable wins over Hailey Baptiste and Karolina Muchová. However, her last two matches have been one-sided defeats. She won just three games against Elina Svitolina in the Melbourne quarterfinals, followed by a 4-6, 2-6 loss to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opening match in Doha.
Kalinskaya opened her 2026 season with second-round exits in Brisbane and Adelaide, falling to quality opponents such as Jessica Pegula and Victoria Mboko in three-set matches. She reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she was competitive in a three-set loss to Świątek. In Doha, she advanced to the quarterfinals, with wins over Emma Navarro and Elina Svitolina before losing to eventual champion Muchová.
Gauff vs Kalinskaya Prediction
Gauff has won 68.8% of her service games and 43% of her return games in 2026 so far. She has saved 50% of break points on serve and converted 44% of her break-point opportunities.
Kalinskaya, meanwhile, has won 69.3% of her service games and 42.6% of her return games. She has performed well under pressure, saving 56.8% of break points on serve and converting 59.8% of break-point chances on return.
The serve remains a recurring issue for Gauff and continues to affect her game. Her form has appeared patchy this season, stemming from a combination of technical flaws and low confidence. Kalinskaya, meanwhile, has played strong tennis this year, and even her losses have come in competitive three-set matches against top opponents. The Russian is also a former runner-up in Dubai and has previously beaten Gauff at this event, giving her a slight edge in the upcoming match.
Pick: Kalinskaya to win in three sets
