Now that the Australian Open is concluded, with Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz winning the singles titles, the tennis world is now shifting its focus to the upcoming tournaments.
With multiple major tournaments scheduled in February, the professionals are now headed to Qatar for the Qatar Open, the biggest tournament on the schedule next. However, the tournament has taken a major hit, as multiple top WTA players, including Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and others, have shockingly withdrawn.
Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and Other Top Names Withdraw From the Upcoming Qatar WTA 1000
Many big names from women’s professional tennis announced their withdrawal from the WTA 1000 tournament, with some citing the Australian Open campaign as demanding, while others are recovering from injuries sustained in previous tournaments. The biggest name among these withdrawals is the World No. 6, Pegula, who reached the semifinals in Melbourne, losing to the eventual champion, Elena Rybakina, in straight sets. The deep run in the tournament took its toll on the American, and she has decided to rest through this tournament, recovering for a better comeback.
Another withdrawal that caught the attention of the tennis world was Osaka, who suffered a left abdominal injury in the second round of the Australian Open against Sorana Cîrstea. Just hours before her third-round match against Maddison Inglis, the Japanese announced her withdrawal from the Grand Slam via an Instagram story. She will be healing from the injury, protecting herself from further damage.
The World No. 15 Madison Keys was another star withdrawing from the WTA 1000 tournament after an unsuccessful title defense at the 2026 Australian Open. After reaching the fourth round by securing three consecutive straight-set wins, the fourth-ranked American lost to her close friend, podcast co-host, and fellow American, Pegula, in the Round of 16, thus ending her campaign in Melbourne.
Another American player who will not be participating in this year’s Qatar Open is the teenager Iva Jovic. She became the youngest player since Venus Williams in 1998 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals without dropping a set. She dominated her opponents, upsetting the seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round, before annihilating Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 in the fourth round. She was eliminated by Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals in a straight-set match, ending her deepest Grand Slam run.
After an excellent showing at the Brisbane International just three weeks ago, Marta Kostyuk was another major name who withdrew from the tournament. She upset three top-ten players on her way to the final, where she faced the World No. 1, Sabalenka, in the championship match, who is known for her dominance on Australian hard courts.
The current top-ranked American, Amanda Anisimova, won the Qatar Open last year, marking her first WTA 1000 title. She beat former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, ninth-seed Paula Badosa, Leylah Fernandez, Marta Kostyuk, and Ekaterina Alexandrova on her way to the final, where she beat the 2017 Roland Garros Champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets to claim her third career title.
