Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff, Osaka on Doha entry list

2m read
Iga Swiatek, Australian Open 2024
Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Eleven Grand Slam winners, led by World No.1 and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek

View Profile , are on the initial entry list for the 2024 Qatar TotalEnergies Open. The WTA 1000 tournament begins on February 11.

Three of those have also claimed the title in Doha previously: Swiatek, Victoria Azarenka

View Profile (2012-13) and Aryna Sabalenka
View Profile
(2020). Karolina Pliskova
View Profile
(2017) and Elise Mertens
View Profile
(2019) take the total of former winners to five. Swiatek set a historic record last year when the Pole dropped just five games en route to defending her title.

Naomi Osaka

View Profile , Elena Rybakina
View Profile
, Coco Gauff
View Profile
, Marketa Vondrousova
View Profile
,
Jelena Ostapenko
View Profile
,
Barbora Krejcikova
View Profile
, Sofia Kenin
View Profile
and Sloane Stephens round out the cohort of major champions. Former World No.1 Osaka is the last direct acceptance to the main draw, using her special ranking of No.46 as she continues her return from maternity leave; she will make her second career appearance in Doha following 2018, when she made the second round.

The Top 46 players in the WTA rankings as of 15 January have all entered the tournament, with three exceptions: Madison Keys

View Profile , due to a shoulder injury; and Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic
View Profile
, who are both on maternity leave. Osaka is the only initial direct acceptance using a special ranking.

Arab No.1 Ons Jabeur

View Profile , a two-time quarterfinalist in Doha, will bid to put a second-round loss at the Australian Open behind her as she returns to a tournament where she has enjoyed de facto home-court support in the past. Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova
View Profile
will make her return from a wrist injury that has sidelined her since the US Open, where she made the semifinals.

Also entered are 2023 runner-up Jessica Pegula

View Profile , former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez
View Profile
and Chinese No.1 Zheng Qinwen. The first 10 alternates to the main draw are as follows:
Mirra Andreeva
View Profile
, Peyton Stearns
View Profile
, Katerina Siniakova
View Profile
,
Linda Noskova
View Profile
,
Clara Burel
View Profile
, Shelby Rogers (using a special ranking), Sara Sorribes Tormo
View Profile
, Katie Boulter
View Profile
, Lucia Bronzetti
View Profile
and Cristina Bucsa
View Profile
.

The event will be the 22nd edition of the tournament, which was first held in 2001. Former champions include Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Anastasia Myskina, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova.