Our Abu Dhabi 2026 WTA 500 predictions start in the bottom half, where Alexandra Eala vs. Zeynep Sonmez headlines Round 1, and Emma Navarro and Paula Badosa sit in the same section of the bracket.
The draw is live, and the early matchups tell you which seeds are protected and where trouble can start fast.
Read on for my Abu Dhabi 2026 WTA 500 predictions, beginning Sunday, February 1.
Abu Dhabi 2026 WTA 500 Bracket Breakdown
Belinda Bencic Quarter
Belinda Bencic has the cleanest setup.
- Seed with BYE: Belinda Bencic (1)
- First match (R16): Winner of Qualifier vs. Cristina Bucsa
- What decides it: This quarter is full of qualifiers, which usually favors the steadier player with the bye.
- Main danger: Jelena Ostapenko (7) can hit through anyone when she’s timing it, but her level can swing fast.
- Quiet threat: Ashlyn Krueger, because she can keep points short and put pressure on service games.
Lean to win the quarter: Bencic
Match to watch early: A potential second-round matchup between Krueger and Ostapenko.
Clara Tauson Quarter
Clara Tauson is protected, but the bottom half is a scrap.
- Seed with BYE: Clara Tauson (3)
- First match (R16): Winner of Daria Kasatkina vs. Qualifier
- What decides it: Kasatkina can turn matches into long rallies and stress your patience. That’s the tricky style in this quarter.
- Bottom-half danger: McCartney Kessler vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is a first-strike match.
- Tough opener: Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Leylah Fernandez (6) is a real Round 1 test for the seed.
Lean to win the quarter: Tauson
Match to watch early: Tomljanovic vs. Fernandez
Emma Navarro Quarter
Emma Navarro gets the bye while the other seed fights immediately.
- Seed with BYE: Emma Navarro (4)
- First match (R16): Winner of Hailey Baptiste vs. Teodora Kostovic
- What decides it: Liudmila Samsonova (5) vs. Sofia Kenin is a Round 1 battle that can drain the winner. Navarro benefits by entering fresh.
- Why it matters: In a quarter like this, the player who misses less and protects serve usually survives.
Lean to win the quarter: Navarro
Match to watch early: Samsonova vs Kenin
Ekaterina Alexandrova Quarter
Bottom half spotlight: Eala, Sonmez, Badosa, and a big early test.
- Seed with BYE: Ekaterina Alexandrova (2)
- First match (R16): Winner of Dayana Yastremska vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia
- Headline match: Alexandra Eala vs. Zeynep Sonmez; the winner becomes a tricky early-round opponent.
- Seeded opener: Paula Badosa (8) vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, no easy points in a same-country match.
- Quarter-swing match: Yastremska vs. Haddad Maia; whoever wins can carry momentum into the next round.
Lean to win the quarter: Alexandrova
Match to watch early: Yastremska vs. Haddad Maia
Abu Dhabi 2026 WTA 500 Predictions
My Abu Dhabi 2026 WTA 500 prediction starts with the byes.
Belinda Bencic and Ekaterina Alexandrova both get clean entries, and that matters on a quick hard court where holding serve and striking the first ball decide most sets.
In the top half, Clara Tauson looks best placed, but Daria Kasatkina can turn that quarter into work.
In the bottom half, Alexandra Eala against Zeynep Sonmez is a fun Round 1, and the winner can play loose with nothing to lose.
Emma Navarro is protected by a bye and by her steady patterns, while Samsonova, facing Sofia Kenin, is the early minefield.
I have Bencic winning Q1, Tauson Q2, Navarro Q3, and Alexandrova Q4, setting up Bencic vs. Alexandrova as the most likely final.
If Badosa is healthy, she can threaten Alexandrova’s quarter, but Yastremska vs. Haddad Maia feels like the swing match.
Slight lean to lift the trophy: Bencic.
For Further Reading
- Why Coco Gauff Loses Big Matches
- WTA Player Spotlight: Why Emma Raducanu Keeps Losing!
- Who Is Nikola Bartůňková? Australian Open 2026 Breakout Explained
- What Is Alycia Parks’ WTA Ceiling?
- Naomi Osaka’s Second Act: What Her Game Allows — and What It Doesn’t
Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
