Defending champion Swiatek likely to begin fourth title quest against Sakkari

07 Feb 2025

Qatar TotalEnergies Open

Following the draw, the second seed, Iga Swiatek, who aims for a historic fourth consecutive title in Doha, will begin her campaign against either former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari

The draw ceremony for the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025 took place on Friday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, attended by notable figures including Tournament Director Saad Al Mohannadi and Karim Alami, a member of the Higher Organising Committee. Other distinguished guests included Abdulla Mohsen, Vice President of HR, Communications & CSR at TotalEnergies Qatar, and various officials.

Representing the players at the event were Caroline Garcia, Elina Avanesyan, Diana Shnaider, and Zeynep Sönmez, who added to the occasion with their presence.

Following the draw, the second seed, Iga Swiatek, who aims for a historic fourth consecutive title in Doha, will begin her campaign against either former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari or a qualifier, while top seed and 2020 champion Aryna Sabalenka is set to face either former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who is competing as a wild card, or the recently crowned Linz champion Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The sixth seed, Jessica Pegula, will encounter the winner of a first-round match between former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and Elina Svitolina. Additionally, the seventh seed, Zheng Qinwen, will commence her tournament against either three-time major finalist Ons Jabeur or McCartney Kessler, who has recently secured her first two Hologic WTA Tour titles within the last seven months.

Furthermore, the third seed, Coco Gauff, will compete against either Marta Kostyuk or wild card Zeynep Sonmez. The fourth seed, Jasmine Paolini, is set to face either former WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia (also competing as a wild card) or Yuan Yue, while the eighth seed, Emma Navarro, will open against either former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez or a qualifier.

Notably, the fifth seed, Elena Rybakina, is the only player among the top eight seeds who will not face a former top 20 player in her opening match; however, both Dayana Yastremska, who has a career-high ranking of No. 21 and recently reached the Linz final, and Peyton Stearns present formidable challenges for last year's runner-up.

All the top-eight seeds have been given a first-round bye and will only be in action from the second round.