The final of the 2024 WTA Qatar Open will be the fifth instalment of the intriguing rivalry between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. The two-time defending champion is looking to make history in Doha, but the head-to-head record suggests she faces her toughest hurdle yet against a woman she failed to beat in 2023. Who will walk away with the title?
WTA Doha Final Prediction
Head-to-head: Rybakina 3-1 Swiatek
What a final we have in prospect at this year’s Qatar Open women’s tournament. Top seed Iga Swiatek has powered through the draw to reach her third straight final. She is one of five women who have lifted the ostentatious golden falcon trophy on two occasions, but she will be looking to chart her way into the record books by winning in Doha for the third time–a feat no WTA player has accomplished. The Pole received a walkover on Friday after Karolina Pliskova pulled out due to a back injury. But before then, she had already stamped her authority at this tournament by stretching her win streak to 11 matches.
Elena Rybakina, for her part, is the first player to reach three WTA finals this season. The Kazakh has scooped titles in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and is looking for a hat-trick of her own on Saturday. She has carried her momentum from her title-winning run from the UAE and blitzed the field in Qatar to reach the final, dropping just one set in the process. The one set she relinquished this week was in the third round against Emma Navarro, where she spurned a match point to complete a straight-sets win.
It will be a blockbuster in Doha. Rybakina has a terrific record against Swiatek, winning all three meetings in the past year. Despite Swiatek’s infallible dominance, Rybakina is one of the very few women who have made her vulnerable on the court. The Kazakh possesses a destructive serve and a bruising flat forehand that is devastatingly accurate. It has been the trademark shot that has laid waste to every player in the Middle East swing so far. But Swiatek has a lot to lose on Saturday, which is why we might see her firebrand tennis click against Rybakina. Additionally, Doha is a happy hunting ground for the top seed, which means she will have a slight edge in the final.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
