Svitolina to face Bencic in Dubai after Badosa retirement
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina advanced to the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after Spain's Paula Badosa retired following the first set of their match Tuesday.
Badosa led 4-1 in the first set before seventh-seeded Svitolina won five straight games to take it. The Spaniard called for the physiotherapist after the set and then decided to retire.
The win improved Svitolina to 3-0 against Badosa in their head-to-head meetings. She also beat Badosa in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2025 and at Eastbourne in 2021.
Get well soon, Paula 💚
— wta (@WTA) February 17, 2026
Elina Svitolina advances to the Round of 16 in Dubai as Paula Badosa is forced to retire due to injury.#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/z4ablPZfzm
"I was expecting Paula to play well," Svitolina told the media after her win. "I was very sad that we couldn't continue after the first set but I think the level was pretty high. She was striking the ball really well. In the end, I found my way, found my game. So, it's a mixture of feelings. I hope she gets well and comes back stronger."
Svitolina will face fellow mother Belinda Bencic in the third round Wednesday. Earlier Tuesday, ninth-seeded Bencic advanced with a walkover after her scheduled second-round opponent, Sara Bejlek, withdrew before the match because of an abdominal injury.
Both players returned to the top 10 earlier this year and made history as the first mothers to be in the top 10 of the PIF WTA Rankings at the same time.
Svitolina and Bencic have played five times on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. The Swiss won the first two meetings, including the 2019 Dubai semifinals, while Svitolina has won the last three.
"We actually practiced two days ago," the Ukrainian said. "We know each other's game. We've been on tour for a couple of years together. And I think it's also very nice that we have both similar stories in the way of moms coming back, reaching the top 10. I think it's great for sport. It's going to be another big challenge for both of us. She's also a good, informed player. I have to bring my best. We're playing tomorrow, so I have a little time to recover. But I feel like it's going to be a good match."