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ARYNA SABALENKA WITHDRAWS FROM QATAR OPEN TO RECOVER FROM MELBOURNE FINAL

Aryna Sabalenka joins a wave of withdrawals from the Qatar Open, seeking rest after her emotional Australian Open final defeat.

Aryna Sabalenka Withdraws From Qatar Open To Recover From Melbourne Final
Sabalenka Confirms Return Date For Dubai Championships After Strategic Rest

Aryna Sabalenka, fresh off her Australian Open final run, has decided to skip the Qatar Open. Her withdrawal is just the latest in a wave of big-name exits that’s left the Doha tournament looking a little thin at the top. After losing to Elena Rybakina in Melbourne, Sabalenka wants more time to rest up before diving back into the tour grind.

With Sabalenka out, Iga Swiatek steps into the top seed spot. The draw’s opened up even more because Jessica Pegula, world No. 6, has also pulled out. Sabalenka actually lost in the first round in Doha last year, so she isn’t missing out on many ranking points by sitting this one out.

That’s not all—Naomi Osaka won’t be playing in the Middle East either, and both Madison Keys and Iva Jovic have confirmed they’re out, citing physical issues or changes to their plans. Marta Kostyuk is still recovering from injury, so she’s on the sidelines too. Lois Boisson, last year’s French Open crowd favourite, hasn’t played a match this season and won’t be in Doha.

All these withdrawals mean Alexandra Eala, Emiliana Arango, Daria Kasatkina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Cristina Bucsa get bumped up into the main draw.

Despite earning over £1 million for her run in Australia, Sabalenka’s track record in Doha hasn’t been great since she won the tournament on her debut back in 2020. She’s expected to return for the Dubai Championships the following week.

After her tough loss to Rybakina—where she was up 3-0 in the third set—Sabalenka wasn’t in the mood to break it all down. “She played an incredible match, and I tried my very best. I was fighting until the last point,” she said, managing a laugh at her press conference. “I had my chances. It feels like I missed a couple, but that’s tennis. Today you lose, tomorrow you win. Hopefully, I’ll win more this season.”

When a reporter asked when she’d sit down with her team to process the loss, Sabalenka looked at her agent and joked, “When… today? Oh, fuck you, no! Maybe in a week. Or maybe a few days. Whenever I feel like I can move on from this.”

She admitted she was a mess after the match—laughing, crying, just letting it all out. “I was really upset with myself. I had my opportunities. I played great until a certain point, then I just couldn’t handle her aggression today. But overall, I think I played great tennis in Australia—even in the final, I was fighting. She was just better today. We’ll talk as a team—though right now, they’re all avoiding me. They know it’s not exactly healthy to be around me at the moment!”

LIFE AFTER TENNIS: HOW RAFAEL NADAL REPLACED GRAND SLAMS WITH A QUEST FOR PARS.

Rafael Nadal is obsessed with golf: Analyse his new "Spin and Swing" circuit, his wife's reaction, and his wins on the green.

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Rafael Nadal is actually better at golf than most people realise right now

Rafael Nadal admits, half-joking, half-serious, that his love for golf drives his wife a little crazy. After racking up 22 Grand Slam singles titles (second-most in the Open Era) and wrapping up his 23-year tennis career in November 2024, Nadal needed something to fill the gap. Golf quickly took over.

He’s always loved the game, even back in his tennis days, but now that he’s off the tour, he’s spending more and more time on the course. These days, if he’s not playing, he’s glued to the TV, following tournaments. His wife, Maria Francisca Perello, apparently isn’t thrilled about this new obsession.

At a charity tournament in Madrid earlier this month, Nadal laughed about it: “I follow golf every week, and my wife suffers because of it. I watched Jon Rahm in Riyadh this week; he finished strong and almost won. I just really enjoy it.”

He’s not just watching, either. Last week in Mallorca, Nadal launched his own charity golf circuit, Spin and Swing. He mentioned he’s turned down wildcard offers to play in pro events before, since tennis always came first. All the money from his new event goes to his own foundation. For Nadal, this project just comes from a genuine love for the sport.

“I’ve had invites a few times,” he said, “but it’s never worked out. Maybe one day, but only if I feel like I won’t embarrass myself out there. I’d want to at least be able to compete, even if it’s just with myself.”

He’s already tested himself in smaller tournaments and not just for fun. He actually won the Balearic Mid-Amateur Championship by seven shots in February 2024, beating out 73 other players. He won’t brag about his game, but he’s clearly got talent.

Last July, he even got in a few rounds with Roger Federer at Pula Golf Resort in Mallorca. And who knows, maybe someday we’ll see a full Big Four showdown on the fairways. Andy Murray plays too, after all.

Talking to The Telegraph last year, Nadal teased, "Yeah, it could happen, but they need to practice! On the tennis cour,t we were pretty even, but this time, I’m way ahead.”

So, don’t be surprised if you see more of Nadal on the golf course from here on out. He’s traded one obsession for another, and honestly, it sounds like his wife will just have to put up with it a while longer.

OFFICIAL RETURN: NOVAK DJOKOVIC CONFIRMED FOR INDIAN WELLS 2026; TOURNAMENT STARTS THIS MARCH

Novak Djokovic is heading back to Indian Wells: Discover the latest on his 2026 schedule, fatigue updates, and his hunt for a 6th title.

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Novak Djokovic confirmed for Indian Wells after skipping early-season tour events

Novak Djokovic is heading back to Indian Wells this year. The tournament organisers just made it official on social media, calling it a return to “Tennis Paradise". It’s been a quiet season for Djokovic so far. He’s only played the Australian Open, where he made it to the final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. He was supposed to play the Adelaide International before that, but pulled out, saying he wasn’t physically ready. He also skipped this week’s Qatar Open, blaming strong fatigue.

Djokovic isn’t playing any tournaments in the last week of February, but come March, he’ll be back for the Sunshine Double, starting at Indian Wells. The organisers sounded pretty excited, posting on Instagram: “A legend returns. 20 years after his debut here, Novak Djokovic is coming back to Tennis Paradise!”

This tournament is a familiar stop for Djokovic. He’s won it five times, but the last couple of years have been rough. In 2025, he lost in the second round to Botic van de Zandschulp. The year before, Luca Nardi knocked him out in the third round. Before that, he skipped three straight Indian Wells events for various reasons, and let’s not forget, the 2020 edition got cancelled because of the pandemic.

You have to go back to 2016 for the last time Djokovic really made a deep run here; he won his fifth title that year, beating Milos Raonic in the final. He also took the trophy in 2015, 2014, 2011, and 2008.

This year’s Indian Wells field looks stacked. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are expected to be the top seeds, with Djokovic likely taking the third spot. After them, you’ve got names like Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton, and Alexander Bublik.

Djokovic hasn’t said exactly what his schedule looks like for the rest of the year, but he’s expected to play the Miami Open next, a tournament he’s won six times. He returned to Miami last year after five years away. After that, all eyes shift to the clay-court season, starting with the Monte Carlo Masters.

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