WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: World No 1 Naomi Osaka leads field as Elina Svitolina goes for hat-trick

A look at the schedule and who is in the draw for the 19th staging of the women's competition in Dubai

Elina Svitolina is going for a hat-trick of titles at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and will become the first woman to win three in a row if she prevails this year. Reuters

Naomi Osaka will look to carry the form that saw her win the Australian Open, and move to world No 1, in to her bid to win the Dubai title for the first time. Getty

World No 2 Petra Kvitova, who won in Dubai in 2013, is making her first appearance at the tournament since 2016. Getty

2015 Dubai winner Simona Halep arrives in Dubai looking to bounce back after losing the world No 1 spot to Osaka in January. Reuters

Karolina Pliskova's best previous effort in Dubai was reaching the final in 2015, where she lost to Simona Halep. AP Photo

World No 6 Angelique Kerber has lost in the semi-finals the past two years in Dubai. EPA

Kiki Bertens is in good form having won the Saint Petersburg Ladies Trophy earlier this month. Reuters

World No 9 Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals in Dubai 12 months ago as a qualifier. Reuters

Caroline Wozniacki, the 2011 champion, lost in the final in 2017 on her last visit to Dubai. EPA

Daria Kasatkina reached the final in Dubai last year before losing to Elina Svitolina. AP Photo

Two-time major winner and former world No 1 Garbine Muguruza will look to recapture her best form in Dubai having fallen to world No 15. AFP

French Open 2017 winner Jelena Ostapenko's best effort in three previous visits to Dubai is the last 16 in 2018. EPA

The tennis world descends on Dubai over the last two weeks of February as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships take place.

The WTA women's competition is first, being held from February 17-23, with the men's ATP competition following the week after from February 24 until March 2, with 20-time major winner Roger Federer leading the field.

Here is all you need to know about the WTA action that will be holding the attention at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium first.

When is it happening?

The WTA action is scheduled to begin with qualifying action on February 17, before the main draw competition begins on February 18. The final of the 19th staging of the women's competition is on February 23.

Where is it being held?

The action will be again held at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, which is in Garhoud and by the Irish Village complex of the facility.

Who is coming?

Nine of the top 10 players in the WTA rankings are participating, ensuring this might be one of the strongest women's draws the competition has ever had.

Newly crowned world No 1 Naomi Osaka will be the top seed, with No 2 Petra Kvitova, the woman she beat to win the Australian Open in January, also in the draw.

Also competing is Simona Halep (No 3), Karolina Pliskova (No 5), Angelique Kerber (No 6), Elina Svitolina (No 7), Kiki Bertens (No 8) and Aryna Sabalenka (No 9) and Caroline Wozniacki (No 10).

Last year's runner-up Daria Kasatkina, two-time major winner Garbine Muguruza, Madison Keys and 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko are also competing. Check out the gallery above for more details on the leading players in the draw, and their past history in Dubai.

Defending champion

Svitolina is the defending champion and is looking for a hat-trick of Dubai titles, having also won in 2017. The Ukrainian will become the first player to win the competition three times in a row if she lifts the trophy on February 23.

Wozniacki (2011), Kvitova (2013) and Halep (2015) are the other past champions in the field.

Tickets

Tickets for the competition can be purchased either at the venue's box office or by visiting https://dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/tickets/available-tickets/