Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka pulls out of WTA 1000 Qatar Open for 2nd year in a row

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Reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will be skipping the 2024 Qatar Open, which starts from Sunday, February 11 in Doha. This is the second consecutive year that the Belarusian has opted out of the WTA 1000 tournament, which she won in 2020.

The 22nd edition of the women’s tennis tournament will be played on outdoor hard courts at the International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. The tournament will feature top women players such as defending champion Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Ons Jabeur.

Sabalenka, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, recently defended her Australian Open title in Melbourne, defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final last month.

Tennis journalist Jose Morgado confirmed the news of Sabalenka‘s withdrawal on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, February 2.

“Sabalenka won’t play Doha,” the tweet read.

The 25-year-old has made three appearances in the Doha Open since 2020. She won the title in 2020, beating Petra Kvitova in the final in straight sets. However, she lost in the second round in 2021, falling to Garbine Muguruza in three sets.

Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals of the competition in 2022, where she was defeated by World No. 1 and eventual winner, Swiatek, in straight sets.

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