Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina will compete in the WTA final on Saturday at the Qatar Open.
Iga Swiatek defeated Jessica Pegula in the 2023 title match after defeating Anett Kontaveit in the Qatar Open final in 2022.
On Saturday at the Qatar Open, Iga Swiatek, the top player in the world, will compete against Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles final.
Due to Karolina Pliskova’s withdrawal due to a back ailment, Swiatek advanced to another final after winning the championship in 2022 and 2023.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion, Rybakina, advanced to her third 2024 final match after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-4.
Despite defeating Naomi Osaka of Japan in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Pliskova was unable to play on Friday.
The Czech player, Pliskova, who won the Transylvania Open on Sunday, apologized for having to withdraw from the tournament.
Unfortunately, I had too many matches in the previous couple of days, and my body just didn’t react properly, especially after having a tough match against Naomi last night, Pliskova said.
I think I was pushing myself a little too far, and then I had severe lower back pain, which makes it impossible for me to compete anymore.
Swiatek, a Pole, has won her past eleven matches that have been played in Doha. She is hoping to make history by being the first player to win the same WTA singles championship three times in a row since Serena Williams won the Miami Open in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Swiatek posted on social media, expressing his happiness at being in another final in Doha but wishing they could play tonight to give you guys something to look forward to.
I want to congratulate you and your team on an amazing two weeks.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, ranked fourth in the world, has won 15 of her 17 matches in 2024, including championships in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi.
She has a 3-1 winning record over Swiatek in their head-to-head matches; the most recent victory came from the Pole’s third-set retirement in Rome last year.
