Watch: Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff and more WTA stars pose for pictures at Qatar Open 2024 Players Party
Top WTA stars such as Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff and more attended the Players Party for the year's first WTA 1000 event, the Qatar Open, and posed for pictures in front of paparazzi.
The star-studded Players Party was held on Saturday (February 10), ahead of the tournament's commencement. Two-time defending champion Iga Siwatek graced the event in a black Magda Butrym mock neck stretch viscose midi dress and Saint Laurent lambskin slingback flats with a double bow.
Naomi Osaka was at her fashionable best, donning Pleats Please 'Basics' wide mock neck polyester pleated tank and a Pleats Please polyester pleated midi skirt with a back slit. She accessorized her outfit with golden shades. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff wore blue jeans, a white top and a grey blazer, as well as chic neck pieces and a bracelet.
Other players who attended the Players Party and posed for pictures were Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Zheng Qinwen, Leylah Fernandez, Caroline Garcia, Kristina Mladenovic, Donna Vekic, Katerina Siniakova, Desirae Krawzyck, Giuliana Olmos and Ellen Perez.
The 2024 Qatar Open began on February 11 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. The final will be played on February 17. The total prize money for the tournament is $3,211,715.
Naomi Osaka to face Caroline Garcia in Qatar Open R1, Iga Swiatek gets Sorana Cirstea
Naomi Osaka is all set to play her fourth tournament since returning from maternity break in 2024. The Japanese star will face French No. 1 Caroline Garcia in the opening round of the Qatar Open on February 12. This will be the second meeting between the two women in 2024.
Garcia beat Naomi Osaka in the first round of the Australian Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion has so far won only one match in 2024, defeating Tamara Korpatsch at Brisbane International.
Iga Swiatek, the top seed and defending champion, received a first-round bye. She would begin her campaign against Sorana Cirstea, who eased past Sloane Stephens in the first round. No. 2 seed Coco Gauff would face off against Katerina Siniakova. Gauff is also the defending doubles champion in Doha but will not defend her title as her regular partner, Jessica Pegula, has decided against playing in the tournament.
Apart from Pegula, reigning two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova are the other top 10 ranked players not participating in the 2024 Qatar Open.
Other interesting first-round matchups include Barbora Krejcikova vs. Anastasia Potapova, Leylah Fernandez vs. Liudmila Samsonova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Daria Kasatkina.