As Middle East swing begins, Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina seek to bounce back in Abu Dhabi

After gathering in Melbourne for a Grand Slam, and teaming up for their respective nations for Davis Cup, the pros retreat to their respective corners of the world again this week. For the most part, North Americans are in North America, Europeans are in Europe, South Americans are in South America. But the big Middle Eastern events are on the horizon. The women start getting warmed up there at the WTA 500 in Abu Dhabi.

Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (WTA)

• Abu Dhabi, UAE
• $922,573; WTA 500
• Hard court
• Draw is here

This 28-player field is headlined by two players who will try to make up for disappointing performances Down Under. Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in Abu Dhabi, each went out in the second round at the Australian Open.

Of the two, Rybakina’s looks to be the tougher, as well as higher-profile. She could play Naomi Osaka in her opener, and Jelena Ostapenko, who just won a title in Linz, in the following match.

First-round matches to watch: Osaka vs. Danielle Collins; Emma Raducanu vs. Marie Bouzkova

Dallas Open (ATP)

• Dallas
• $841,590; ATP 250
• Indoor hard court
• Draw is here

Texas may be thinking about seceding from the U.S., but as far as tennis goes, this year’s Dallas Open is as American as they come. Twelve of the 28 players in the field are from the States, including the top three seeds—Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton. None of those three went as far as they have in the past at the Australian Open, so the small draw and home crowd in Dallas may give them a confidence boost they could use.

Potential second-round match to watch: Tiafoe vs. towering U.S. teen Alex Michelsen

Notable absence: Defending champion Wu Yibing played some spectacular tennis to win Dallas last year. But he collapsed on court at the Citi Open last summer, and hasn’t played since the US Open.

Open 13 Provence (ATP)

• Marseille, France
• $950,000; ATP 250
• Indoor hard court
• Draw is here

While Dallas is highly American, Marseille is in even more Euro-centric: 18 of the 28 players here hail from the continent. That includes seven of the eight seeds, starting with No. 1 Hubert Hurkacz and No. 2 Grigor Dimitrov. The most prominent non-Europeans are seventh-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime and Florida native Sebastian Korda.

Other high seeds this week, like Rybakina and Tiafoe, will try to put their Australian Opens behind them. Hurkacz and Dimitrov, by contrast, will want to extend the strong starts they made Down Under—Hubi reached the quarterfinals at the AO, while Grigor won his first title in six years in Brisbane.

Cordoba Open (ATP)

• Cordoba, Argentina
• $640,705; ATP 250
• Red clay
• Draw is here

Francisco Cerundolo had a breakout 2023, but he’s stumbled a bit out of the gates so far this season. He’s 1-2, and was soundly beaten in straight sets at the Australian Open by a guy ranked 50 spots behind him, Fabian Maroszan. Much like the Americans in Dallas, Cerundolo can use all of the home-country support he can get at the moment.

But he won’t be the only one receiving it in this local-heavy draw. Sebastian Baez, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, and Diego Schwartzman are all Argentine and could all challenge for the title. Baez won it last year, Etcheverry is an up-and-comer on all surfaces, and while Schwartzman is outside the Top 100 now, he’s a little living legend down south.

Transylvania Open (WTA)

• Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• $267,082; WTA 250
• Indoor hard court
• Draw is here

This 250 in Romania rounds out the week, with Arantxa Rus as the top seed and Tatjana Maria No. 2. Notable other entrants include Alycia Parks, Clara Tauson, blasts from the recent past Anastasija Sevastova and Sara Errani, and unseeded former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova