Rybakina hopes to finally celebrate at her ‘home’ tournament in Dubai this week

It may be more than two weeks since Elena Rybakina won the Australian Open in Melbourne, yet such is the demanding schedule of modern-day tennis, the Kazakh star is hoping this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships — her adopted home tournament in the city in which she has lived since 2024 — provides the chance to properly celebrate.

The 26-year-old is balancing the demands of being the top seed at this week’s WTA 1000 tournament with all the off-court demands that come when you return home after weeks away – things to do, people to see, favourite places to go.

“Honestly, it’s really not enough time,” said Rybakina, who stopped in Dubai on route from Australia to Qatar, where she lost in the quarterfinals. “When I got back home, I also got a little cold, so I was not celebrating. I was literally in bed for couple of days. Then we had to go to Doha. It’s quite a busy schedule.

“Of course, you can pick and choose at some point, but it’s a pity to miss a tournament if you’re at home, that’s for sure. It’s been everything pretty quick, so hopefully I will get some rest later and celebrate bigger.”

Fresh from Qatar, Rybakina is yet to explore the newly expanded Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, which includes a new 2,000-seat Court 1 and larger Tennis Village. “I didn’t even see the new court yet because today was my first practice after Doha, but it’s nice to stay home. You have your spots, you have some things to do, so it always nice.”

Saturday’s draw has not helped Rybakina’s cause for a quieter – or at least easier –week. Her route to the final could see her face No7 seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals and World No5 Coco Gauff in the semis.

Among the star-studded field is World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini, who is one of eight players who secured a first-round bye.

The 2024 Wimbledon finalist won here two years ago and returns with the mindset of prioritising a fun experience on court to enable her to grow. “The goal has to be enjoying being on the court, to focus on the work [and] not on the result,” she said.

The Italian lost in the first round in Doha last week to Maria Sakkari, so is happy for a change of scenery – especially given her fond memories of playing in Dubai. Paolini won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2024 to claim her first WTA 1000 title. The Italian shocked herself with the win and is channelling the positivity the memories bring.

“I think it is a positive thing to change the place and come back here in Dubai,” said the 30-year-old. “To me, it’s an amazing place to play tennis, so it’s nice to be back here in Dubai. I think 2024 was a surprise – I remember before winning the tournament, I was like ‘I cannot play well here’, yet in that year something changed. I don’t know why.”

Paolini is optimistic that the upcoming days can lead to a successful season: “I like these conditions,” she added. “Hopefully it gives me energy for this tournament, but also for the rest of the season.”

Meanwhile Gauff, who has been selected as the face of Mercedes-Benz’s new long-term deal with the WTA Tour, spoke of her pride at seeing major brands aligning with the sport to help grow the women’s game. For the first time at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, the nets this week carry the famous three-pointed star.

“I’m happy they decided to support women’s tennis and allow me be the face of that new transition for them,” said Gauff.