Shifting smoothly from absorber to aggressor, Iga Swiatek extended her Doha dominance today.

In a rematch of the 2024 final, Swiatek stopped nemesis Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-5, pumping up the party for roaring Polish fans with her 15th consecutive Doha victory.

The second-seeded Swiatek improved to 16-1 lifetime at the Qatar Total Energies Open with her last lost coming to two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova back in 2020.

“I’m super happy,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview. “Super period of myself because playing against Elena is never easy...

“At the start of the second set, she raised her level and I needed to do that too in order to come back. I’m happy I was able to come back and break her because with her serve, it's tough.”

Three-time champion Swiatek continues her quest for a record-extending fourth straight Doha crown. If she achieves it, she will be just the second woman since 2000 to capture four consecutive championships at the same event joining Caroline Wozniacki, who did it 2008-2011 in New Haven.



The 23-year-old Swiatek has now neutralized two blistering servers—Linda Noskova and Rybakina—in succession, leveling her head-to-head with the fifth-seed at 4-4.

Whipping a mix of heavy topspin forehands with flat backhand drives, Swiatek seldom let Rybakina get comfortable on second serve. Swiatek won 16 of 23 points played on her opponent’s second serve, broke serve four times and spooked Rybakina into a match-ending double fault with aggressive return positioning.

Next up for Swiatek is another dangerous Grand Slam champion: Jelena Ostapenko.

The 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko overcame fan favorite Ons Jabeur and some Doha fans jeering during her service toss scoring a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Ostapenko, who crushed two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 in the round of 16, is 4-0 lifetime vs. Swiatek with the last three wins coming on hard courts.

"Jelena plays super fast, sometimes it’s tricky," said Swiatek, who fell to Ostapenko in three sets at the 2023 US Open.

A year ago, Swiatek subdued Rybakina in the Doha final. Roaring back from 1-4 down, Swiatek saved a set point in the tiebreaker defeating Rybakina 7-6(8) 6-2 to capture her third consecutive Qatar Open crown and make history as the first three-time Doha champion.

The second seed drew a scattered forehand snatching the first break and a 2-0 lead.

Wasting little time between points, Swiatek played with urgency and energy extending her lead.

A leaping Swiatek tomahawked a smash holding at 15 for a 5-2 lead after 26 minutes.

Across the net, Rybakina was struggling to win second-serve points and sometimes misfiring on her forehand. Framing a wild forehand, Rybakina raised her eyebrows looking at coach Davide Sanguinetti in the box.

A rattled Rybakina missed a backhand long to face set point in the eighth game.

The reigning Roland Garros champion was nearly knocked to her knees twice in succession fending off some heavy forehands. Swiatek defended a series of deep drives drawing an error to end the 33-minute opener with her second break. Rybakina won just two points on second serve in the set.

Resetting with a bathroom break, Rybakina came out and immediately broke serve at 30 to start the second set. Rybakina repelled a pair of break points to confirm the break for 2-0.

Staring down a triple break point deficit, Rybakina dug in and denied all three break points, including zapping an ace out wide on break point No. 3. Rybakina own five points in a row holding for 3-1 as a frustrated Swiatek swiped her Tecnifibre racquet off the blue court at opportunity lost.

Continuing to apply pressure on the fifth seed’s serve, Swiatek drew an errant backhand for two more break points. This time, the Pole made Rybakina pay pumping a forehand pass down the line to break for 4-all.

Though Rybakina’s two-hander is a damaging weapon, she missed three backhand returns as Swiatek saved two break points edging ahead for 5-4.

Earlier, Ekaterina Alexandrova continued her dynamic run.

World No. 26 Alexandrova revved up her game and rolled past Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Linz champion Alexandrova scored her eighth straight win, including her second Top 10-triumph of the week.



Serving to force a tiebreaker, Rybakina could not handle a heavy Swiatek backhand return, facing match point in the 12th game.

The former AO finalist slapped her second double fault of the match ending a 96-minute clash.

On Tuesday, Alexandrova edged world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) , bouncing the woman with the tiger tattoo in a pulsating two hour, 36-minute thriller.

After dropping the opening set today, Alexandrova burst out to 3-1 leads in the second and third sets scoring her 16th career Top 10 victory.

The 30-year-old Alexandrova will play Amanda Anisimova for a spot in the final.



The 2019 Roland Garros semifinalist Anisimova rallied past No. 21 Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.