Defending champion Bencic, Rybakina lead Abu Dhabi field

The Middle East Swing of the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz will kick off in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 1, and reigning champion Belinda Bencic will be in the United Arab Emirates to defend her title.

Leading the field, though, will be WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina, the hottest player on tour dating back to last season. It will be Rybakina's fourth appearance in Abu Dhabi. The World No. 5 won the title in 2024, and returned to the semifinals last year, losing to eventual champion Bencic in a terrific three-setter. 

Other top players in the WTA 500 field include No. 10 Ekaterina Alexandrova, two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, No. 14 Clara Tauson, No. 15 Emma Navarro, No. 17 Liudmila Samsonova and 19-year-old rising star Victoria Mboko.

Paula Badosa, back on tour after missing most of 2025 with back issues, will also be in the main draw, as will Jelena Ostapenko, Leylah Fernandez and Maya Joint.

Zheng Qinwen is currently scheduled to play, though she did recently withdraw from the Australian Open following extensive conversations with her team.

Last year's tournament in Abu Dhabi culminated with one of the moments of the year, as Bencic won the title a mere four months after returning from maternity leave (and in just her fourth tour-level event since giving birth to her daughter, Bella). With her come-from-behind victory over American Ashlyn Krueger in the final, the Swiss star become the first mother to win a WTA title since 2023. 

The Abu Dhabi title set Bencic's brilliant year in motion. She jumped from No. 157 to No. 66 in the PIF WTA Rankings and kept rising, ultimately finishing at No. 11 and winning WTA Comeback Player of the Year honors.

It was actually Bencic's second career title in Abu Dhabi, after winning the tournament in 2023. She's never lost at the event, winning all nine of her matches there over those two appearances. 

Played on hard courts, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open will feature a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw. Play will start on Feb. 1, and the final will be played on Feb. 7.