This Week: Sabalenka returns; Swiatek bids to go back-to-back; Alcaraz, Gauff look to reset

For many players, this is a short-flight week. In South America, the men jump from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janiero; in the Middle East, the women make the hour-long jaunt across the Persia Gulf from Doha to Dubai.

Alex de Minaur must be jealous. The Australian, who lost the Rotterdam final on Sunday, has another tournament to play this week in Los Cabos, 6,000 miles and many time zones away.

Here’s a look ahead at another multi-continent, multi-surface week in February.

Dubai Duty Free Championships (WTA)

Dubai, UAE

$3,2111,715; WTA 1000

Hard court

Draw is here

The Desert Double—Doha and Dubai—has never had the caché of the Sunshine Double—Indian Wells and Miami. But as far as tournament levels go, they’re now a match. On the WTA side, Doha and Dubai have both been elevated to 1000s, and they have the fields to show for it.

In Dubai’s case, the tour’s Top 4—Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina—are present and accounted for, and each has a storyline worth following.

Swiatek will try to win her first title here. She has won three straight in Doha, but has yet to follow up in Dubai; in 2023, she lost in the final to Barbora Krejcikova. This time she’ll start against Sloane Stephens, and could play Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen in the quarters.

Sabalenka is returning for the first time since winning the Australian Open, and will try to continue to close the gap with Swiatek, who has runner-up points to defend, for the No. 1 ranking. Like Swiatek, Sabalenka has never won Dubai. Her opening-round opponent this year, Donna Vekic, is no pushover.

Gauff is a player looking to get back on track. Last week in Doha, she lost an error-filled opener to Katerina Siniakova. This week she hopes to be sharper against 55th-ranked Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Rybakina made the final of Dubai way back in the Before Times of 2020. She also made the final last week in Doha. She has played as well as anyone so far in 2024, but doesn’t have a ton to show for it. She could face Victoria Azarenka to start this week.

Rio Open (ATP)

Rio de Janeiro

$2,71,715; ATP 500

Red clay

Draw is here

Rio will be the next stop in Carlos Alcaraz’s long-running quest to follow up his 2023 Wimbledon victory with another title. Since then, the Spaniard hasn’t been quite as sensational as expected. He lost his No. 1 ranking late last year, and his subpar performances have continued this season at the Australian Open, and in Buenos Aires last week, where he went out to Nicolas Jarry in two sets in the semifinals. Even red clay, it seems, isn’t helping this natural-born dirt-baller play the big points well.

But Rio should be friendlier ground. Alcaraz won his first 500-level tournament here in 2022, and he nearly defended his title last year, before falling to Cam Norrie 7-5 in the third set. Norrie is right behind him in the seedings again this time, followed by Jarrry and Francisco Cerundolo.

Still going: 38-year-old Stan Wawrinka, who could play Alcaraz in the third round.

Mifel Tennis Open (ATP)

Los Cabos, Mexico

$1,005,620; ATP 250

Hard court

Draw is here

I’ve mentioned the Sunshine Double and the Desert Double. What do we call this month’s back-to-back tournaments in Los Cabos and Acapulco? The Sombrero Swing?

Los Cabos kicks it off this week with a surprisingly strong field for a 250. Top seed Alexander Zverev will try to put his brutal semifinal defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open behind him. Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will try to do the same after his loss to Taylor Fritz in Melbourne. De Minaur will try to figure out which side of the world he’s on after his flight from Rotterdam.

Qatar Exxonmobil Open (ATP)

Doha, Qatar

$1,493465; ATP 250

Hard court

Draw is here

Speaking of back-to-back events, the men begin their own Doha-to-Dubai swing this week. Unfortunately, this 250 lost its biggest draw when Rafael Nadal pulled out. Instead, the headliners will be fellow Russians and sometimes doubles partners Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov, who are seeded one and two.