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The 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships, to be held from February 14-19, is the only WTA tournament happening this week. The WTA 500 event will see eight of the current top 10 players participating, with Ashleigh Barty and Karolina Pliskova the only absentees.
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed at the tournament. 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova, World No. 5 Paula Badosa and defending champion Garbine Muguruza round out the top four seeds.
2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins and Grand Slam winners Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova are also in the mix. The draw is filled with the best players on the tour with plenty of exciting matches lined up. On that note, here's an in-depth look at how the draw might unfold:
Top half: Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa will look to continue their strong start to the season
Seeded players: (1) Aryna Sabalenka, (3) Paula Badosa, (6) Iga Swiatek and (8) Ons Jabeur
Expected semifinal: Aryna Sabalenka vs Paula Badosa
Dark horse: Jessica Pegula
Analysis: Aryna Sabalenka had a rough start to the season, suffering consecutive first-round exits in Adelaide. She almost repeated the feat at the Australian Open but somehow won her opening-round bout. She made it to the fourth round in Melbourne but was nowhere near her best.
At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she will begin her campaign against a qualifier, followed by either Petra Kvitova or Camila Giorgi in the second round. The two-time Wimbledon champion might've been the favorite in the past, but given her current form, the big-hitting Giorgi could well knock her out. Sabalenka will be the favorite from this part of the draw to make the quarterfinals.
Iga Swiatek faces Daria Kasatkina in her opening-round match, whom she defeated en route to the Australian Open semifinals last month. The Russian will be making a return following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis last week, so there's a possibility she might not be at her best.
Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Jelena Ostapenko face off in the first round, with the winner taking on Swiatek. Since last year, Kenin has struggled to recapture the form that brought her immense success in 2020. Ostapenko made a slow start to the year, but is fresh off a semi-final showing in St. Petersburg.
Still, it's hard to see the Latvian moving past Swiatek. The young Pole should secure a date with Sabalenka in the last eight.
Third seed Paula Badosa will commence her Dubai challenge against a qualifier. The Spaniard is in good form, winning the WTA 500 in Sydney and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. In the second round, she will square off against either Simona Halep or Alison Riske.
Halep made a strong start to the season as well, winning the WTA 250 in Melbourne and making the fourth round of the Australian Open. The former World No. 1 is expected to get the better of Riske, but it's hard to see her doing the same against Badosa. The Spaniard is likely to make the quarterfinals from this section.
After two first-round exits from warm-up tournaments, Jessica Pegula turned her season around at the Australian Open by reaching the quarterfinals. She'll take on compatriot Coco Gauff in the first round in Dubai. Based on current form, Pegula would be the favorite to win, but the teenager could certainly spring a surprise.
The winner will take on either Vera Zvonareva or eighth seed Ons Jabeur in the second round. The Tunisian reached the quarterfinals of the Sydney Tennis Classic at the start of the year, but injured herself and hasn't played since. Against Zvonareva, she has a good chance at winning, but the lack of match practice could hurt her in the next round.
Pegula is expected to make the last eight, where she's likely to face Badosa.
Predicted semifinal: Iga Swiatek def. Paula Badosa
Bottom half: Defending champion Garbine Muguruza handed tough draw at Dubai Tennis Championships
Seeded players: (2) Barbora Krejcikova, (4) Garbine Muguruza, (5) Maria Sakkari and (7) Anett Kontaveit.
Expected semifinal: Barbora Krejcikova vs Garbine Muguruza
Dark horse: Victoria Azarenka
Analysis: Barbora Krejcikova, who was the runner-up in Dubai last year, will begin her campaign against Carolina Garcia. The Czech has earned a reputation for her consistency over the past year. In 2022, she reached the final in Sydney and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in singles, while winning the Melbourne Major in doubles.
Garcia, on the other hand, has won just one match this year. It should therefore be a straightforward victory for Krejcikova. In the second round, she could face either Irina-Camelia Begu or a qualifier. The Romanian made the semifinals of the WTA 500 in St. Petersburg last week and while there's every chance she could make it a competitive match, Krejcikova is likely to win and reach the quarterfinals.
Sakkari, who made the final in St. Petersburg over the weekend, faces a qualifier in the first round. In the second round, she will face either former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina, who's not playing her best at the moment or another qualifier. On paper, Sakkari has the easiest path to the quarterfinals, but professional tennis is full of surprises.
Garbine Muguruza has been handed a challenging draw as she embarks on her title defense at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She was expected to make a deep run at the Australian Open, but was knocked out in the second round by Alize Cornet.
The Spaniard faces 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins in the first round. The American will have confidence and momentum going into the contest and that might be enough to tilt things in her favor.
The winner will take on either Victoria Azarenka or Veronika Kudermetova in the second round. The former World No. 1 has been playing well since the second half of 2021 and should win at least her opener.
Anett Kontaveit has made winning a habit of late. Since the middle of 2021, she has either won or made deep runs at most of the tournaments she has competed in, the notable exceptions being the 2021 US Open and the 2022 Australian Open. The Estonian is currently a finalist at the WTA 500 in St. Petersburg.
She'll take on Mayar Sherif in the first round, followed by either Elise Mertens or a qualifier. Kontaveit will be favored to win both these encounters to make the last eight, where she could face Muguruza, Collins or Azarenka.
Semifinal prediction: Barbora Krejcikova def. Danielle Collins
Prediction for the final: Iga Swiatek def. Barbora Krejcikova
