The Dubai Open 2026 continued to be shaped by unexpected twists on Wednesday, with another major name exiting the tournament and several contenders advancing despite limited match play earlier in the week. Health concerns and withdrawals have marked the WTA 1000 event, even as new faces seize their moment on one of the tour’s biggest stages.
Elena Rybakina became the latest high-profile casualty after retiring from her last-16 clash against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. The Australian Open champion and top seed was forced to stop at the beginning of the third set due to gastrointestinal issues, cutting short what had been a competitive encounter.
Rybakina’s exit adds to a notable list of stars who have either retired or withdrawn from the tournament, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka, second-ranked Iga Swiatek, as well as Victoria Mboko and Barbora Krejcikova.
For Ruzic, however, the day marked a career milestone. The lucky loser, who had earlier stunned 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the opening round, advanced to her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
“It was actually a crazy story that I got in as a lucky loser because I lost the first round of qualification,” Ruzic said. “A lot of girls had amazing runs from the lucky losers because you get a second chance, so you have nothing to lose anymore. You can just show your best tennis. I’m happy with how I played today.”
The 23-year-old world number 67 will next face seventh seed Elina Svitolina, who battled past Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 to book her place in the last eight.
Elsewhere, Amanda Anisimova made a winning start to her Dubai campaign after receiving a bye in the first round and a walkover in the second. The second seed defeated Janice Tjen in straight sets to secure a quarterfinal meeting with defending champion Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva, the 18-year-old fifth seed, also played her first match of the tournament after a similar sequence of a bye and a walkover, beating Jaqueline Cristian 7-5, 6-3. “Honestly, I feel my game was really far from perfect today,” Andreeva said. “I was tense, I was nervous, I cared a lot about every single point that I was playing, and sometimes I was really scared to miss. “Tomorrow (Thursday) is probably going to be better, because I’m going to get into the rhythm… I’m looking forward to getting that revenge!”
Their upcoming clash carries added intrigue, with Anisimova having won their only previous meeting at the Miami Open last year. In other quarterfinal developments, Jessica Pegula eased past fellow American teenager Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-2 and will face Clara Tauson, who beat Magda Linette by the same scoreline.
The final quarterfinal spots were set to be decided later on Wednesday, with third seed Coco Gauff taking on Elise Mertens, while Alexandra Eala was scheduled to meet Sorana Cirstea, as the tournament continues to balance attrition with opportunity.
