Fish, Friends, and a Title Defense: Alcaraz’s Unforgettable Week in Doha

The world No. 1 traded Grand Slam glory for a day on the water with Sinner, Medvedev, and Rublev—before picking up where he left off in Melbourne

Published: February 17, 2026 | 3 min read

DOHA — Carlos Alcaraz is back on the court. But before he got down to business, he decided to go fishing.

The world No. 1, fresh off becoming the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, has returned to ATP Tour action at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. His first match Tuesday ended with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Arthur Rinderknech. But the real story happened the day before.

Alcaraz traded the baseline for the open water, joining three of his fiercest rivals—Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev—for a traditional Qatari fishing trip.

The catch? They wore matching outfits. White t-shirts. Plaid-patterned pants. Four of the best players on the planet, looking like they stepped out of a resort catalog.

The tournament shared video of the outing, and Rublev stole the show with his unfiltered reactions. But all four players succeeded in reeling in their catch of the day.

For a moment, they weren’t competitors. They were just four guys fishing.

A day earlier, Sinner had opened his campaign with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 dismissal of Tomas Machac. Alcaraz followed Tuesday with a harder-fought win.

The Spaniard saved both break points he faced and erased a pair of set points at 5-6 in the second set before closing out Rinderknech in a tiebreak.

Rinderknech, now 0-5 against Alcaraz, had a sense of humor about it afterward.

“One time you let me win?” the Frenchman joked.

Alcaraz laughed, but his assessment was serious.

“Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round.”

What’s Next

Alcaraz withdrew from last week’s ATP 500 in Rotterdam to rest after his Melbourne heroics. The time off seems to have served him well.

Next up: another Frenchman. Alcaraz will face Valentin Royer for a place in the quarterfinals.

But win or lose, he’ll always have the memory of that day on the water—matching plaid pants, unscripted laughter, and four rivals who, for a few hours, were just friends with fishing poles.

Alcaraz Visits F1 Stars Alonso & Sainz in Bahrain Before Doha Return

World No. 1 takes a paddock pit stop ahead of Qatar Open title bid

February 12, 2026 | 2 min read

SAKHIR, Bahrain — Carlos Alcaraz is trading tennis balls for racing tyres—just for a day.

Fresh from his historic Australian Open triumph, the world No. 1 made a detour to the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday, where he caught up with compatriots Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz during F1 pre-season testing .

The 22-year-old, a known motorsport enthusiast, visited the Williams garage to spend time with Sainz before heading to Aston Martin to meet two-time world champion Alonso . Both drivers are preparing for the 2026 F1 season, which opens in Melbourne on March 8 .

Alcaraz’s admiration for Alonso runs deep. At January’s Australian Open, he celebrated his semi-final victory over Alexander Zverev by mimicking Alonso’s signature “samurai” gesture—a tribute the F1 veteran acknowledged .

The Spaniard previously attended the 2024 Italian Grand Prix and ranked Alonso as the top driver in a blind F1 ranking exercise alongside ATP stars .

The Bahrain visit is a brief pause before Alcaraz resumes business in Doha. The Qatar ExxonMobil Open (ATP 500) begins February 16, with Alcaraz entering as the top seed . His great rival, world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, headlines the opposite side of the draw .

Alcaraz has never won the Doha title, falling in the quarter-finals last year to Jiri Lehecka. He arrives on a seven-match winning streak after his Melbourne heroics .

Djokovic Withdraws From Qatar Open Citing Fatigue; Alcaraz and Sinner Lead Stacked Field

24-time Grand Slam champion pulls out of Doha just 10 days after epic Australian Open final defeat

February 12, 2026 | 3 min read

DOHA, Qatar — Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the upcoming Qatar Open, citing “strong fatigue” following his gruelling Australian Open campaign, tournament organisers confirmed Wednesday.

The 38-year-old, ranked world No. 3, reached his 11th Melbourne final earlier this month—surviving a four-hour semi-final against Jannik Sinner before falling in four sets to Carlos Alcaraz. The physical toll of that run proved decisive.

Djokovic’s decision aligns with recent signals that he will prioritise Grand Slams and national duty over regular ATP Tour events.

“I don’t want to make decisions about my schedule so far in advance. Right now, my only wish is to be with my family, and then I’ll see what’s next.”

The Serb previously skipped Davis Cup qualifiers in February to avoid travel to South America. His next scheduled appearance is at Indian Wells, beginning March 1.

Djokovic, a two-time champion in Doha (2016, 2017), holds a 15-3 record at the event. His replacement, Valentin Royer, steps into a draw now headlined by Alcaraz and Sinner.

Defending champion Andrey Rublev returns, joined by Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jakub Mensik.

What’s Next

The ATP 500 event runs February 16–22. Djokovic’s focus now shifts to the North American swing, with Indian Wells and Miami looming.

For Doha, the champion’s absence has only sharpened the spotlight on the sport’s next generation.

Raducanu Retires Again: British No. 1 Forfeits Qatar Open First-Round Match

Chest infection and blood pressure issues force early exit in Doha, just days after first final appearance since 2021

By Paul Battison
BBC Sport journalist
Published: 9 February 2026 | 2 min read

DOHA, Qatar — Emma Raducanu’s search for consistency suffered another setback Monday as the British No. 1 was forced to retire from her first-round match at the Qatar Open, just 48 hours after contesting her first final since the 2021 US Open.

The 23-year-old forfeited her match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio at 2-0 down in the deciding set after requiring medical attention for blood pressure issues.

Match Summary

Raducanu started strongly, racing to a 3-0 lead before sealing the first set 6-2. But Osorio fought back in the second, breaking for 3-2 and forcing errors from the Briton to level the match.

At the start of the third set, Raducanu saved two break points but was immediately broken again. After gingerly failing to chase down a drop shot, she called the trainer to have her blood pressure taken—then retired moments later.

This marks the third time in four months Raducanu has required medical attention during a match:

After Saturday’s Transylvania Open final—her first final appearance in over four years—Raducanu revealed she had been “battling a bit of a chest infection” affecting her fitness.

Since her historic 2021 US Open triumph, Raducanu has struggled to build momentum amid a recurring cycle of injuries, illnesses, and coaching changes.

In January, she split with Francis Roig—her ninth coach since 2021—following a second-round exit at the Australian Open.

Monday’s retirement raises fresh questions about her physical readiness for the demands of the WTA Tour as she attempts to recapture the form that announced her arrival on tennis’s biggest stage.

Qatar Open Shock: No. 1 Seed Iga Swiatek Falls to Sakkari as Mboko Stuns Rybakina

World No. 2’s staggering 109-0 record in WTA 1000 matches after winning first set comes to a dramatic end in Doha quarter-finals

By Noah Langford
Reading Time: 4 mins

DOHA, Qatar — In a day of seismic shocks at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, the women’s tennis landscape shifted dramatically as top seed Iga Swiatek and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina were both dumped out in stunning quarter-final upsets on Thursday.

Maria Sakkari, ranked No. 52 and unseeded, clawed her way to a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over the three-time Doha champion—shattering Swiatek’s historic 109-0 record in WTA 1000 matches where she had won the first set .

Minutes later, 19-year-old Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko continued her meteoric rise, outmuscling Rybakina 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to book her place in the semi-finals .

Sakkari’s Resurrection: “I’m Speechless”

For Maria Sakkari, Thursday’s victory was nearly five years in the making.

The 30-year-old Greek, who once sat at No. 3 in the world rankings in 2022, had lost four consecutive meetings with Swiatek since her last win in 2021. Her descent to No. 52 had been a humbling journey—but in Doha, she proved the class never truly fades.

“I’m speechless because it’s been a while since I’ve had a big win like today,” Sakkari said in her on-court interview. “When you drop in the rankings and you’re not playing good tennis, you start doubting yourself. You’re thinking you’re never gonna beat those players again. It’s a huge process you have to go through in your head.”

Swiatek, who won the Qatar Open in 2022, 2023, and 2024, started as if she would deliver another masterclass. She broke twice in the first set, sealing it in a dominant 33-minute display. But Sakkari, armed with renewed belief, refused to wilt .

The Greek broke early in the second set for a 2-0 lead. Swiatek responded, breaking in the seventh game, but Sakkari steadied herself and broke again in the tenth game to level the match—the first time in their seven meetings a contest between them had gone the distance .

The deciding set was a see-saw epic. Sakkari surged to a 5-2 lead and held a match point, only for Swiatek to summon her champion’s resolve, winning three straight games to level at 5-5. A disputed double-bounce call briefly disrupted Sakkari’s momentum, but she held her nerve .

“It’s very normal to get a little bit tight and stressed—especially when I haven’t witnessed those moments in a long time,” Sakkari admitted. “I’m just very happy that I managed to overcome myself in those last two games and come up with some great tennis, and some brave tennis.”

Sakkari held to love, then earned two more match points. On the third, Swiatek pushed a forehand volley into the net. The streak was over .

Source: Sports Illustrated

Mboko Confirms Rising Star Status

If Sakkari’s victory was a resurrection, Victoria Mboko’s was a coronation.

The 19-year-old from Toronto, already a WTA 1000 champion at last year’s Canadian Open, delivered another statement performance against the world No. 3 and reigning Australian Open champion .

Mboko, the 10th seed, had already saved a match point to eliminate fifth seed Mirra Andreeva in a third-set tie-break just 24 hours earlier. Against Rybakina, she showed no signs of fatigue .

Three service breaks powered Mboko’s opening-set win. Rybakina moved ahead 5-3, but Mboko held serve and broke again to level at 5-5, then clinched the set with her third break .

Rybakina, who had fought back from a set down against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the previous round, responded in the second. She broke early for a 3-1 lead, survived Mboko’s response to level at 3-3, and broke again to serve out the set 6-4 .

But the Canadian had the final word.

In the deciding set, Mboko sealed the match with her sixth service break of the contest. After jumping to a 40-0 lead in the 10th game, she saw Rybakina fight back to deuce—but the teenager held her nerve, taking the next two points to complete the stunning upset .

“I feel like I came out with some very clutch shots at the end,” Mboko said. “I think we both were pretty tired when it came to the tie-break. I think I felt like I was lucky enough to have some good shots in the great moments.”

Source: CTV News / The Canadian Press

The victory lifts Mboko, who entered the tournament at a career-high ranking of No. 13, into the top 10 for the first time. Her 2026 record now stands at an impressive 12-3 .

What’s Next: Semi-Final Line-Up Takes Shape

Maria Sakkari will face either 14th-seeded Czech Karolina Muchova or unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya in Saturday’s semi-finals—her first WTA 1000 semi-final appearance since 2024 .

Victoria Mboko advances to face two-time Doha finalist Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion who defeated Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5, 6-4 .

For Swiatek, the defeat ends her quest for a fourth consecutive Doha title and snaps an astonishing streak that underscored her dominance at this level. For Rybakina, the focus shifts to recovery, with three more majors still ahead in the 2026 season.

But in Doha, the story belongs to the underdogs—and to the teenager from Toronto who continues to announce herself as a genuine force in the women’s game.