In the opening match of the Dubai "WTA 1000" tournament, Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko faced off against Russian competitor Anna Kalinskaya, losing in three sets with scores of 6-2, 1-6, 4-6. Ostapenko, currently ranked 27th in the WTA rankings, had a strong start by winning the first set convincingly but struggled in the subsequent sets, losing her momentum as Kalinskaya took advantage of the situation. Despite securing ten WTA ranking points for her participation, the loss marks a tough start to the tournament for Ostapenko.

Kalinskaya’s victory against Ostapenko is significant given that it not only extends her winning streak against the Latvian but also showcases her consistent performance in the tournament, having defeated Ostapenko in all four of their encounters to date. In their previous match at the Miami "WTA 500" tournament in 2024, Kalinskaya had similarly dominated with a score of 6-3, 6-1. This included a critical late break in the third set, allowing Kalinskaya to serve for the match at 5-4.

Ostapenko's best performances in the Dubai tournament have been reaching the third round in 2023 and 2024. In contrast, Kalinskaya has shown her prowess by reaching the finals two years ago. Ostapenko is also set to compete in doubles alongside Taiwanese player Su-Wei Hsieh, which could provide an opportunity for redemption in the tournament following her singles loss.