Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Doha match.
Aryna Sabalenka returns to action after a two-week break, aiming to defend her world No. 1 ranking. The Belarusian had a strong run in Australia, winning the Brisbane title and reaching the Australian Open final. However, the lack of recent match practice could play against her. Meanwhile, Alexandrova is already acclimatised to the Qatari courts, having confidently defeated Emma Raducanu (6:3, 7:5) in the first round.
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka is one of the most dominant players on hard courts (84-17 since 2023). Her powerful forehand makes her a formidable opponent, but her absence from competitive play and the fact that she skipped Doha in 2023-24 could be a factor. Additionally, seven of her last 11 matches against top-35 players have gone the distance, with totals exceeding 23 games. Interestingly, at the 2023 US Open, she dropped just one set en route to the title—and it was against Ekaterina Alexandrova (2:6, 6:1, 6:2).
Ekaterina Alexandrova
Alexandrova has started 2025 impressively, winning the WTA 500 tournament in Linz. She has proven her ability to challenge elite players, securing victories over Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, and Jessica Pegula last season. She has also been competitive against top-10 opponents, keeping the margin within five games in 7 of her last 10 matches. However, her second serve remains a weakness—she ranks among the worst five in double faults (287 in 2024), which could be exploited by Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ekaterina Alexandrova Prediction
Sabalenka typically starts WTA 1000 tournaments strongly, and Doha is unlikely to be an exception. However, Alexandrova has caused her problems before and is capable of making this a tight match. Expect a battle rather than an easy win for Aryna Sabalenka.
