The first of ten WTA 1000 events in the 2025 season is already underway, with the opening round wrapping up on Monday. The tournament in Qatar features a six-round format, meaning the top seeds need just five wins to secure the title. Unlike events such as the Sunshine Double, where up to 32 seeds receive a first-round bye, only eight players enjoy that privilege in Doha. This structure has led to some early exits for high-ranked players, making for an exciting and unpredictable start.
Sunday's upsets
Diana Shnaider is the highest-ranked player to be eliminated so far. The 11th seed suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of Alycia Parks, who pulled off the biggest upset of the round with pre-match odds of 3.17.
Anna Kalinskaya also saw her campaign end prematurely, losing a hard-fought battle to qualifier Cristina Bucsa. Kalinskaya was just two games away from advancing, leading by a set and locked at 5-5 in the second, but Bucsa rallied to claim a 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 victory.
Another notable exit came from Beatriz Haddad Maia, who fell to Magdalena Frech, the 2024 WTA 500 Guadalajara champion. It has been a rough start to the season for the Brazilian, who has managed just two wins in 2025 while already tallying five losses. Frech's win sets up an all-Polish second-round clash against Magda Linette.
The sisters suffering hard time
The Middle East swing has not been kind to the Kudermetova sisters. Younger sibling Polina Kudermetova was forced to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi main draw, with her spot taken by Veronika Kudermetova, a former top-10 player. However, Veronika was unable to capitalize on her lucky loser entry, suffering a brutal 6-0, 6-0 loss to Belinda Bencic.
Polina’s fortunes in Qatar were no better, as she endured the same fate against 10th seed Daria Kasatkina, losing 0-6, 0-6 in under an hour. Veronika also struggled, despite taking the first set against Magda Linette. She ultimately fell in three sets, adding another disappointing result to the family's tough week.
Action to follow in second round
Tuesday promises a packed schedule, with 14 of 16 second-round matches taking place in Doha. Two matches will be played on Monday, including defending champion Iga Swiatek’s opener against Maria Sakkari, and 8th seed Emma Navarro facing Leylah Fernandez.
Several top contenders enter the fray on Tuesday. Australian Open runner-up Aryna Sabalenka returns to action against Ekaterina Alexandrova. Third seed Coco Gauff takes on Marta Kostyuk, while Qinwen Zheng looks to turn her season around in a challenging matchup against Ons Jabeur, who has been showing signs of a strong resurgence in 2025.
With high-profile clashes and early surprises, the Qatar Open is shaping up to be an exciting start to the WTA 1000 season.
