WTA 1000 Dubai 2/15 - 2/21 2026

[JTContinental]

Eala finally starting to look like she's living up to her hype

[JTContinental]

Mertens has now played in the two worst WTA matches between good players I've ever seen.

Seven years ago, she lost in a third-set tiebreak on clay to Venus when both players were inept. Today, she blew three match points in the second-set tiebreak against Gauff in a match when both players were pathetic. Gauff served 16 double faults, including three in a row in the last game she lost, but she still won 6-3 in the third because Mertens could not keep the ball in the court and had her own critical double faults. I lost an hour-and-a-half of my life I will never get back.

That terrible match was Gauff's 100th win at 1000 level tournament, the youngest player to claim that honor.