Qatar Open 2022: Women's draw, schedule, players, prize money and more
The 20th edition of the Qatar Open will commence on Sunday. The first WTA 1000 tournament of the year will be graced by eight of the world's top-10 singles players.
Former champion and current World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka headlines the field, with Barbora Krejcikova, Paula Badosa and Anett Kontaveit rounding out the top-four seeds.
Here's all the information you need to have ahead of the start of the tournament:
What is the Qatar Open?
The Qatar Open is a WTA 1000 tournament that takes place in the country's capital Doha.
Anastasia Myskina, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova are the most successful players in the history of the tournament, having won it twice. The Czech is the defending champion, having beaten Garbine Muguruza in the final last year.
Other past champions include Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Justine Henin.
Petra Kvitova won her first title since 2019 as she swept past Garbiñe Muguruza 6-2 6-1 to win the Qatar Open final on Saturday. 9Soci.al/rcJt50DS142
Venue
The tournament takes place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, which has a capacity of 7000.
Players
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed in the competition. The Belarusian won the competition in 2020 and will be keen on making a deep run this year. Sabalenka has not had the greatest of starts to the season, losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open and following it up with a second-round exit in Dubai.
Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova is the second seed. The Czech reached the final of the Sydney International and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year. She will be eyeing her first singles title of 2022.
Another favorite for the title is third seed Paula Badosa. The Spaniard won her third WTA crown at the Sydney International this year and moved to a career-high ranking of World No. 5. Following an early exit in Dubai, Badosa will be keen to bounce back in Doha.
Anett Kontaveit, Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sakkari and Iga Swiatek are all capable of contending for the title as well.
Full draw.
The last empty spots is
Qualifier vs. Qualifier
Kenin vs. Ann Li https://t.co/suFEp9a9lW
Schedule
The Qatar Open will take place from February 20-28, with the top eight seeds receiving a bye to the second round.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will take place on Thursday and Friday respectively. The final will be held on Saturday.
Prize Money
The prize money for the women's singles champion at the Qatar Open is $380,000. The total prize pool is $2,331,698.
Where to Watch
Viewers in America can watch all the action live on the Tennis Channel. Fans in the United Kingdom can watch all the matches on Amazon Prime.