The opening WTA 1000 tournament of the 2025 season starts on Sunday at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha. WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka are among the players in the draw. Seven players withdrew from the event, including five Grand Slam finalists. This article names those players and then gives their replacements in the draw.

Seven Players Withdraw From WTA Qatar TotalEnergies Open

Which Players Have Withdrawn?

Madison Keys was a notable withdrawal from the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. Because of a leg injury, she cannot compete in Doha and has also withdrawn from the following week’s Dubai Tennis Championships. There were no indications that she had an issue during her incredible recent run to the Australian Open title, but she might have managed it throughout the event in Melbourne.

Danielle Collins was the other American to withdraw from the tournament. The 31-year-old did this due to a lingering foot injury. Collins, who caused controversy at the Australian Open by taunting the fans and saying she would use their money to go on a vacation, was recently pictured on the holiday she promised.

Barbora Krejcikova also withdrew from the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. She missed the Australian Open due to a back injury that has not healed. It is unknown when the Wimbledon champion will return to the court at this stage.

Karolina Muchova was the fourth player to withdraw from the WTA 1000 tournament. The Czech sustained a leg injury at the recent Abu Dhabi Open, where she reached the semifinal. Physical issues have plagued Mouchova in the last couple of years. Hopefully, the leg issue is not severe.

2021 French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Katie Boulter, and Marie Bouzkova were the other players to withdraw from the WTA Qatar TotalEnergies Open.

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Who Replaces Those Players in the Draw?

Peyton Stearns benefited from her fellow American Keys withdrawing. She lost a thrilling match to Emma Navarro 7-5 in the third set. However, her level was not as high during a straight-sets loss to Lucia Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca. Stearns has a chance to respond strongly at the WTA 1000 tournament.

Danielle Collins was also replaced by another American. McCartney Kessler took the 2022 Australian Open runner-up’s place. She burst onto the scene by winning the title in Cleveland last year and triumphed again at the Hobart International at the start of the season. Other players may want to avoid her in the opening rounds.

Yuan Yue entered the Qatar TotalEnergies Open draw after Krejcikova’s withdrawal. The Chinese player usually plays her best tennis on hardcourts and won a maiden WTA title at last year’s ATX Open in Texas. Her solid and flat groundstrokes are ideally suited to hard courts.

Anhelina Kalinina also entered the draw because Muchova decided to withdraw. She is inconsistent and struggles to produce her best tennis throughout the season. However, Kalinina’s formidable hitting from the baseline causes trouble when she is near her best.

Ashlyn Krueger, who reached this week’s Abu Dhabi Open final, Katerina Siniakova, and Rebecca Sramkova are the other players who entered the Qatar TotalEnergies Open draw.

Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – Imagn Images