Former Top-10 player, Maria Sakkari, will take on Turkish sensation Zeynep Sönmez in the first round of the 2026 Qatar Open. This is the fourth event for both players this season, with Sakkari last playing at the Australian Open, and Sönmez being in action at the Abu Dhabi Open.
Maria Sakkari vs Zeynep Sönmez Match Details
Date: Feb. 9, 2026
Tournament: Qatar Open 2026
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar
Surface: Outdoor hard
Category: WTA 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, RDS, Sky Sports
Sakkari vs Sönmez Head-to-Head
The head-to-head between Sakkari and Sönmez is tied at 1-1, with the Turkish player winning the first match 7-5, 6-2 at the Merida Open last year. However, the last time they met, Sakkari won 7-5, 6-3 in the qualifying round of the Japan Open.
Sakkari began her year well, winning her group matches against Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu at the United Cup before losing to Coco Gauff. She lost in the first round in Adelaide, losing to Daria Kasatkina in straight sets. She started well at the Australian Open, winning 6-4, 6-2 against Leolia Jeanjean in the first round, before losing 0-6, 4-6 against Mirra Andreeva in the second round.
Sönmez began her season with a second-round exit in Brisbane, losing to Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three sets. She had a great run at the Australian Open, where the Turkish player won five consecutive matches, reaching the third round as a qualifier, before losing to Yulia Putintseva. She could not carry that momentum, as she lost to Alexandra Eala in the first round at the Abu Dhabi Open.
Sakkari vs Sönmez Prediction
Both Sakkari and Sönmez have won 55.2% of the service points, but the Greek player has won 62.1% of the service games, whereas the Turkish player has won 64.2%. On return, the numbers are in Sönmez’s favor as well, as she has won 39% of the return games, compared to Sakkari’s 37.9%.
Sakkari has reached 8 hard-court finals in her career, winning her only title on the surface at the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara in 2023. She has been a two-time finalist at Indian Wells, including a semifinal finish at the US Open in 2021. Sönmez, on the other hand, has won a hard-court title at the 2024 Merida Open, where she beat Ann Li in the final.
Sakkari has been in good form this year, having beaten high-quality opponents like Osaka and Raducanu. Also, given the fact that she won her last match against Sönmez, she is the slight favorite in the upcoming match.
Pick- Sakkari to win in three sets
