4 shocking results from Qatar Open Day 3 ft. Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka & others

It was doomsday for seeds at the Qatar Open as Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff were sent packing by surprise packages. Both women were playing in their opening matches of the tournament.

While Sabalenka is a former Qatar Open champion, Coco Gauff was also a favorite for the title given her recent form, None of that mattered as their opponents cut short their stay in Doha.

The two women were not alone as other big names also got knocked out on a day filled with upsets. Here, we take a look back at four most shocking results from the 2025 Qatar Open:

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Marta Kostyuk def. Coco Gauff

Marta Kostyuk after beating Coco Gauff at the Qatar Open. (Source: Getty)

Coco Gauff was in red-hot form at the start of the season, barely missing serves or groundstrokes when she led the US side to the United Cup title. Things, however, have gone downhill since.

After an underwhelming Australian Open, she came into the Qatar Open looking to redeem herself, only to fall at the very first hurdle. Her victor this time was a free-swinging Marta Kostyuk, who made the most of her opponent’s erratic play.

A crumbling forehand and double faults at inopportune times from Gauff can be scrutinized all that you want but it takes a determined opponent to make the best of a player’s shortfalls on any given day. Kostyuk was just that today as she kept the focus on her own game, continued to take big swings at the ball to push her opponent back, and took the gifts as they came. The outcome was a 6-2, 7-5 victory, her ninth top-10 win and second over Gauff.

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Ekaterina Alexandrova def. former Qatar Open champ Aryna Sabalenka

Ekaterina Alexandrova after beating Aryna Sabalenka at the Qatar Open. (Source: Getty)

If there’s one match where you cannot fault either player for the lack of trying then it has to be the titanic tussle between Ekaterina Alexandrova and former Qatar Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.

The World No. 1 had arrived in Doha having recovered from her Australian Open finals loss to Madison Keys but now has fresh scars to tend to. Much like in the case with Keys, Alexandrova brought a brand of fearless tennis that mirrors Sabalenka’s own to the court and it was a sight to behold.

Both women were not only hitting the ball as hard as anyone out there but playing smart at the same time. They made use of steep angles, mixed in delicate touches, and brought incredible athleticism to the match. The only thing separating them was a slightly better start to the third-set tiebreaker from Alexandrova, who took the match 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5).

The big-hitting Russian, in an interesting stat, became the first player to beat a reigning World No. 1 after going down a set at a WTA 1000 event for the first time since 2019. And she did it by matching power with power.

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Amanda Anisimova def. Paula Badosa

Amanda Anisimova scored a second stratight upset at the Qatar Open. (Source: Getty)

Continuing the good day for big-hitters, Amanda Anisimova cut short Paula Badosa’s stay in the Qatari capital with a 6-4, 6-3 upset.

The American showcased a returning masterclass throughout the match, generating as many as 12 break chances against one of the best servers out there at the moment. And she took four of those opportunities to lock in her first top-10 win since she stunned Aryna Sabalenka in Toronto last year.

This was Anisimova’s second straight upset as she had taken out former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka a day earlier. Against Badosa, she was in full flight and the Spaniard simply could find a way to break that rhythm which eventually cost her the match.

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Ons Jabeur def. Zheng Qinwen

Ons Jabeur scored her first top-10 win in nearly a year at the Qatar Open. (Source: Getty)

In a clash that delighted the Qatari fans, the crowd favorite, Jabuer bamboozled Zheng Qinwen into submission 6-4, 6-2 despite a seemingly slow start to the encounter.

Jabeur went down a break twice early in the opening set when Zheng’s power was seemingly overwhelming her. But the minute she pulled out her first short slice, things took a different turn. What followed was a barrage of drop-shots, volley winners, and backspin returns.

Such was the variety on showcase that Zheng herself began to try and play similar shots, albeit to a much lower degree of success. And once Jabeur discovered her first serve and the right timing on the forehand, there was only going to be one outcome. Even the Qatari crowd sensed the sort of form that Jabeur was in. They made their presence felt and eventually cheered Jabeur to victory.