Watch: Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova practice together against scenic backdrop in Doha ahead of Qatar Open

Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova recently practiced tennis drills together during a media interaction ahead of the 2024 Qatar Open on Friday, February 9.

The Qatar Open will be held from February 11-17, at the outdoor hardcourts of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. The WTA 1000 tournament boasts a total financial commitment of just over $3.2 million.

Swiatek is the defending champion and the top seed in Doha, where she will be aiming for her third consecutive title, having won it in 2022 and 2023. The Pole has dominated the event for the past two years, dropping only one set in the eight matches that she has completed. Swiatek received a bye in her first round and will face either Sorana Cirstea or Sloane Stephens in the second round.

The World No. 1 is coming off an underwhelming display at the 2024 Australian Open, where she reached the third round before losing to unseeded Linda Noskova in three sets.

Vondrousova, meanwhile, is the reigning Wimbledon champion and the sixth seed in Doha, where she will be making her first appearance since 2020. The Czech has never made it past the second round in Doha. The World No. 8 also received a bye in her first round and will face either Tatjana Maria or a qualifier in the second round.

The 24-year-old is coming off a disappointing first-round loss at the Australian Open, where she was stunned by Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in straight sets.

The official Instagram account of the Qatar Open shared a story of the two players practicing some drills together with a stunning view of the Doha skyline in the background. The clip was later shared by an X (formerly Twitter) user.

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Iga Swiatek dominates Marketa Vondrousova in head-to-head record

Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova at the 2023 WTA Finals

Iga Swiatek has a dominant record against Marketa Vondrousova, winning all three of their previous encounters in straight sets.

They first met at the 2020 French Open first round, where Swiatek stunned Vondrousova with a 6-1, 6-2 victory. The Pole went on to win the title without losing a set, becoming the youngest French Open champion since Monica Seles in 1992.

They faced each other for the second time in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where Swiatek prevailed again in straight sets.

The most recent match between Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova was in the round-robin stage of the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, where the former defeated the Czech for the third time, 7-6(3), 6-0.