The Insider Wrap is a recap of everything you need to know from the week that was. Last week, former No.2 Barbora Krejcikova sent a message with her title run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, while Camila Giorgi captured her first title in two years at the Akron Merida Open. 

Performance of the Week: Barbora Krejcikova

The numbers behind Krejcikova's incredible run to her first WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships speak for themselves. Four Top 10 wins, including defeats of the Top 3 players and a second consecutive victory over No.1 Iga Swiatek in the final. With six singles titles won over the past three seasons, Krejcikova now sits only behind Iga Swiatek (12) and Aryna Sabalenka (7) for most titles won since the start of 2020. 

Champions Corner: Behind Krejcikova's run in Dubai

It was a full-circle moment for the 27-year-old Czech. It was at 2021 Dubai that she shed her label as a doubles specialist. Ranked No.63, she advanced to her first WTA singles final. That run would spark her rise. A few months later, she was a newly minted French Open champion and finished the year inside the Top 5. She reached a career high No.2 last season but was largely derailed by an elbow injury that sidelined her until May. 

It would have been easy to believe Krejcikova's best was behind her, but with her title run on Ostrava last fall, and now Dubai, it appears her clean-striking, all-court tactical game is back. 

Surprise of the Week: Rebecca Peterson

The 27-year-old Swede came through qualifying to make her first final in four years at the Akron Merida Open. Peterson scored impressive wins against Lyon champion Alycia Parks and top seed Magda Linette, and she was the only player to take a set off eventual champion Camila Giorgi. Having hit a career-high No.43 in 2019 before injuries, Peterson will return to the Top 100 on Monday. 

Honor Roll

Camila Giorgi: The Italian enjoyed a dominant week to win her fourth career title and first since winning Montreal two years ago.

Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova: The duo cemented their new partnership in Dubai, winning the doubles title while dropping only one set. The title is Samsonova's first on the doubles circuit. 

Champions Corner: Kudermetova, Samsonova capture the first WTA 1000 title of the season

Jessica Pegula: The American continues her strong start to the season, which includes a United Cup win, third consecutive Australian Open quarterfinal, Doha final and now a WTA 1000 semifinal appearance in Dubai. By making the quarterfinals, Pegula became the first American to make five consecutive WTA 1000 hard-court semifinals. 

Coco Gauff: The 18-year-old's strong season start continued in Dubai, where she progressed to her second WTA 1000 semifinal. Gauff has become a reliable force in the early rounds of tournaments as well. She's made the quarterfinals or better at six of her past seven regular-season tournaments. 

Caty McNally: The American scored a gritty win against No.3 seed Zhu Lin in the opening round in Merida and proceeded to advance to her first WTA semifinal since making her first at 2019 Washington D.C. She also added a seventh doubles title to her ledger, winning with Diane Parry. 

Karolina Muchova: She was forced to retire ahead of the quarterfinals with an abdominal injury, but Muchova had a strong two weeks in the Middle East. She came within a handful of points from defeating No.4 Caroline Garcia but turned around to defeat Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16 of Dubai. 

Madison Keys: Keys scored two impressive wins in Dubai to make her first quarterfinal of the season, in Dubai, where she beat Garcia and Victoria Azarenka. 

Notable Numbers

4: Players who have won titles by defeating the reigning Top 3 in a single event.

2: Players who have saved match points and gone on to win a title this season. Belinda Bencic (Abu Dhabi) and Barbora Krejcikova (Dubai).

5: The five longest matches of the 2023 season were all played last week in Dubai and Merida. 

13: Consecutive matches won by Aryna Sabalenka in 2023. The Australian Open champion's streak ended in a three-set loss to Krejcikova in the Dubai quarterfinals.

6: Number of WTA 1000 finals Iga Swiatek has made in her career. She is the second player to make six or more before turning 22, joining Caroline Wozniacki.

10: Number of times Coco Gauff has made a WTA semifinal. She is the fourth American to reach 10 or more semifinals before turning 19 in the past 30 years, along with Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams and Venus Williams. 

7: Number of times Gauff has reached a WTA 1000 quarterfinal, the most of any teenager since WTA 1000s were introduced in 2009.

Shot of the Week

Hot shot: Krejcikova shows off improv skills to stun Swiatek in Dubai