The winner of last year’s Doha tournament, Amanda Anisimova, had her title defense cut short due to injury on Monday night after being forced to withdraw during her match against former world number one Karolína Plíšková.
Despite being the number three seed in the tournament and last year’s defending champion, Anisimova fought hard against Plíšková before injury brought about an abrupt end to her chances of repeat success in Qatar.
After winning the first set 7-5 but losing the second set via tie-break 6-7 (3), Anisimova found herself leading by 4-1 in the third and final set but was unable to continue due to injury. The final score read 7-5, 6-7(3), 1-4 (ret). The dramatic ending can only be described as an unfortunate conclusion to the match, as both players demonstrated that, unlike skill and form, it was fate that determined the outcome of the match before Anisimova’s injury occurred.
Tournament medics and the WTA eventually confirmed that Anisimova was not feeling well and had opted to retire instead of risking her health any further. After her match, she went on to share that she wasn’t feeling well during her time in Doha and that she was not able to play at an elite level, a defining moment that exemplifies how elite athletes can also be affected by variables outside of performance-based techniques or tactical strategy.
The timing is unfortunate, as Anisimova’s title-winning performance in Doha served as the launching pad into 2025 for what would ultimately be a breakout year highlighted by major events and several high-dollar results. She is already established as one of the top players in the world, and 2026 started strong as a title contender; leaving 2026 without Anisimova creates many questions for her loyal followers.
On the other side, Plíšková, a champion in 2017, was serene through her Andrews match. She has been very inactive on the tour for the past couple of seasons but came to Doha wanting to show the tour her strengths again—her serve and her strong groundstroke. Monday’s result only added fuel to the fire of her comeback story: proving that form can take time to rebuild, but it can also return very fast.
There have already been several health-related incidents at Doha this week aside from that one. Emma Raducanu also had to retire from her match this week after receiving a medical timeout. This raises questions around how much the busy calendar, traveling, and managing the fine line of being at the top of your game versus being fragile on the tour will all play into the health of the players. All of the tournament’s physicians and the players’ teams will be watching with interest to see how other players manage to play throughout the week.
Plíšková’s victory, albeit via walkover, sets her up for a favorable draw and puts her one step away from winning. Anisimova wants to protect her long-term health while returning to the explosive play and footwork she displayed late last year. With the defending champion out, the tournament allows top players and underdogs to take on new narratives.
The unpredictability of sport was brought back into focus on Monday; titles are obtained through good play, but title defense can also be jeopardized by the loss of an athlete to injury or sickness due to the ordinary nature of human characteristics. As the tournament resumes in Doha, questions have shifted from who switched off the lights to who will be ready to perform when the lights come back on.
