What Winter Olympic sport would WTA players compete in? Here's what they said

Both the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina and the Middle East swing on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz are wrapping up.

To celebrate, wtatennis.com asked many WTA players during media sessions and interviews on the ground in Doha and Dubai as the Games were ongoing the following question: 

If you could be a Winter Olympian, which sport would you want to compete in and why?

Here's what some of your favorite players said they would -- and also wouldn't -- try:

Coco Gauff: “That's a good question. I feel like either speed skating just because -- I don't know, it looks fun -- or figure skating because I feel flipping and all that, it looks so not easy, but they make it look so easy.

“Bobsledding [too]. I feel being the person to ride might be a little bit fun, too. It looks like a roller coaster, but I am sure it's not that. I want to be the one riding [laughter].”

Mirra Andreeva: “I really would want to be an ice skater, but I just feel I lack the stretching. I'm not as smooth, and I'm horrible at dancing. I'm horrible at doing all this glamorous stuff. 

“I would really like to do ice skating, but I think I would suck at it probably [laughing]. It would be nice to try it out maybe one day on ice.”

Iga Swiatek: “That’s a tough one. I don't like that much of adrenaline, so for sure, not alpine skiing. I never tried skating -- honestly, I never tried any winter sport, so I can't really answer that question. I have no idea because I never got opportunity to do anything. I was skiing up until I was seven, so that's not enough of experience to judge.

“I don't know, maybe biathlon. But I will need to see how I am with endurance sports.”

Elena Rybakina: “Maybe skiing because I never actually did it, I know how to ski on the flat, but not on the other one. It would be interesting for me. Ice skating, I did when I was young but I am too tall for this sport, so probably skiing.”

Jessica Pegula: “Figure skating. I love the figure skating, I think they're incredible. I don't know how they do what they do. I really don't. I always used to be kind of like obsessed with a couple of them when I was little.

“I always just love the Winter Olympics to rewatch the figure skating. I also think it's a lot of pressure to be able to perform, and if I was able to do that and become a gold medalist, I think I'd be pretty happy with myself.”

Belinda Bencic: “Downhill alpine skiing. Did you see the Swiss guy that won three gold medals? Incredible. And of course, I would like to be a figure skater as well, and speed skater.

“I love to watch and I almost find the Winter Olympics so much more -- not so much more interesting, of course, Summer Olympics are also interesting -- but these winter sports are crazy tough, and these athletes are crazy, out of their minds, and I admire each one of them.”

Amanda Anisimova: “I would definitely choose figure skating because I think it's really pretty. It would be different from what I do now because the routines are shorter so I think I would enjoy that [laughing].

“It's such a beautiful sport and it looks very difficult and challenging. I feel like it's something that I enjoy. It would not be like today [Feb. 18 in Dubai] where it's super hot. The grass is always green on the other side [laughing], I'm sure they would say the same.”

Jelena Ostapenko: “It will sound very funny, but ice hockey probably. It’s funny, but yes, I love it, it’s really a great sport.”

Maria Sakkari: “One of my best friends, he’s a slalom skier -- he’s competing at the Winter Olympics. I would go with slalom skiing just because I would have him as a coach.”

Elina Svitolina: “I love watching ice skating. It would be my dream actually to be an ice skater, but I cannot even do it on the ice [laughing].”

Jasmine Paolini: “I always say I want to try to ski -- I’ve never done this before. I'm going to wait until my retirement to try that, not before, because it's too dangerous.”

Karolina Muchova: “I would choose skiing, probably Super-G.”

Iva Jovic: “Definitely figure skating. I think it’s so beautiful. It’s so artistic. I don’t know how they do it, but pair skating -- I don’t I know if I can trust someone to throw you in the air like that, but figure skating seems really cool.”

Daria Kasatkina: “For sure not ski mountaineering, I just hate it [laughing]. Honestly, Winter Olympic Games are dangerous. Ice skating looks good to be honest, also could be hockey.”

Alexandra Eala: “I'm not sure. I'm not very knowledgeable on winter sports. I like the kind of skating where they go in the rink like this -- Speed skating. I like that. But I can tell you I'm really, really bad at skiing. I'm so bad [laughing].

Antonia Ruzic: “Skiing. When I was nine or 10 years old, or even younger, we tried to go skiing and I was really good at it the first time. My parents were like 'Oh should we put her in the skiing?'

“In Croatia, there's not so many mountains and everything, not so many skiing clubs. So I think if I wouldn't be a tennis player, I would be for sure a skier [laughing)]”

Elisabetta Cocciaretto: “Maybe, if I have to choose one -- figure skating. I wish I could when I was a kid, but my parents didn’t let me do skiing. Maybe if I have a child in the future, I will put them immediately in the skiing."

Anna Danilina: “Biathlon, I like that one.”

Aleksandra Krunic: “Figure skating, I think it’s the most beautiful sport.”