It was almost curtains for Coco Gauff in Dubai!

But, Alex Eala (and an army of excited Filipino fans) await her in the quarterfinals.

Oh! And, has Antonia Ruzic purchased a lottery ticket this week? Because she's certainly got luck on her side this week!

Let's get you caught up on all the results, ramblings, and rigmarole from across the world of tennis.

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😤 Gauff Goes Houdini Coco Gauff saves three match points and rallies past Elise Mertens, 2-6, 7-6⁹, 6-3, in a nailbiter in Dubai. It's the first time since 2021 that Gauff comes back from match points down for a tour-level victory... her 100th WTA 1000 main-draw win.

🌟 Manila Magic Alexandra Eala takes down Sorana Cirstea, 7-5, 6-4, to end the Romanian's 7-match win streak and make Filipino history once again. The 20yo is only the 3rd Asian player to reach multiple WTA 1000 quarterfinals before turning 21, joining Naomi Osaka and Zheng Qinwen. She faces Coco Gauff next in their first meeting at tour level.

🍀 She's So Lucky. She's a Star. Antonia Ruzic loses in the first round of qualifying but decides to stick around for doubles. Four days later, she's defeated Emma Raducanu, outlasted Anastasia Zakharova, and advances to the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 when Elena Rybakina is forced to retire mid-match. Will her luck run out when she faces Elina Svitolina?

🤕 Walking Wounded It's been a rough week in Dubai as 25 of the original 43 main draw entrants have now withdrawn or retired before completing a match. Elena Rybakina, the #1 seed and reigning Australian Open champion, became the latest casualty today, retiring against Ruzic with gastrointestinal illness after splitting the first two sets.

🔥 Five Alive Carlos Alcaraz trails Valentin Royer 2-5 in the 2nd set before reeling off five consecutive games to close out the match, 6-2, 7-5. The world #1 extends his outdoor hard-court winning streak to 27 matches (dating to Cincinnati last August) and his overall streak to nine (through the Australian Open title). He faces Karen Khachanov next, owning a 5-0 career record against the Russian.

🎯 Fifty and Counting Jannik Sinner wins his opening match in Doha, taking down Alexei Popyrin, 6-3, 7-5, without facing a single break point. The win extends his streak against players ranked outside the Top 50 to a staggering 50 consecutive victories, stretching back to Cincinnati in 2023. Sinner, playing his first event since a painful 5-set semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, faces #6 seed Jakub Mensik next.

👨‍🏫 New Face in the Box Arthur Fils confirms that 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic has joined his team for 2026. The 21yo Frenchman, who reached a career high of world #14 before a stress fracture in his back at Roland Garros derailed his 2025 season, is now into his 2nd quarterfinal of the year after dispatching Quentin Halys, 6-1, 7-6⁷, in Doha.

📓 The Library is Open Defending champion Mirra Andreeva fights off 31 unforced errors and 7 double faults to edge past Jaqueline Cristian, 7-5, 6-3, in Dubai. After failing to serve out the 1st set at 5-4, Andreeva turns to her famous notebook (the one that went viral at Indian Wells) and regroups. She faces #2 seed Amanda Anisimova in a revenge match after Anisimova ended Andreeva's 13-match win streak in Miami last year.

🧬 Friend of the Pod Jessica Pegula dispatches Iva Jovic, 6-4, 6-2, in an all-American Top 20 matchup in Dubai. The fun wrinkle: Jovic told Pegula on the Player's Box podcast that she modeled her game after the veteran. But the mini-me was no match for the real deal as Pegula wins 100% of her serve games and walks away with a 98% first serve percentage.

⚡ Going Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas reaches his first tour-level quarterfinal in 10 months with a 6-3, 6-4 win over #4 seed Daniil Medvedev in Doha. The former world #3 faces defending champion Andrey Rublev next, who cruises past Fabian Marozsan, 6-2, 6-4.

💚 Hulk Smash Flavio Cobolli snaps a 4-match losing streak in Delray Beach by defeating Terence Atmane, 7-5, 6-4, and celebrates by showing off his new Hulk tattoo. The ink commemorates his Davis Cup shirt-ripping celebration after saving seven match points in a 32-point deciding-set tiebreak against Zizou Bergs. Cobolli next faces surprise quarterfinalist Coleman Wong, who upsets Brandon Nakashima, 6-4, 7-6⁴.

🎓 Family Business At the ITA Men's National Team Indoor Championship at SMU, Jagger Leach (Lindsay Davenport's son) and Nico Godsick (Mary Joe Fernandez's son) clinch the doubles point together for Stanford. Davenport and Fernandez won the 1996 Roland Garros doubles title as partners. Seven players in the 16-team field have a parent or sibling on the ATP or WTA Tour, including Bryce Nakashima (Brandon's brother) and Preston Stearns (Peyton's brother) on Ohio State. One more name to file away: Goran Ivanisevic's son Emanuel is committed to Wake Forest for fall 2026.

"The whole match felt like it wasn't going my way. It wasn't the best, but I just tried to stay in it, and I did fight for every point." - Coco Gauff on surviving Elise Mertens in Dubai ¹

"The key today was staying calm and trusting my shots. I think I was very solid in particular moments where I needed to be." - Alexandra Eala on reaching her first Dubai quarterfinal ²

"As a lucky loser, you don't have pressure that much. You get a second chance. So you just play." - Antonia Ruzic on her fairy tale Dubai run ³

"I was really scared to miss. Inside of myself, I was saying, 'Mirra, you just have to dig deep and force yourself to hit the ball.'" - Mirra Andreeva on her nervy win over Jaqueline Cristian ⁴

"Hell of a champion, winner of a slam, and he coached a lot of guys, a lot of champions actually. Very, very happy that he joined us during this long journey." - Arthur Fils on working with Goran Ivanisevic ⁵

"I felt like Hulk on the court, so now I have to be like him!" - Flavio Cobolli on his new tattoo at Delray Beach ⁶

"My sister even called me and was like, 'Oh my gosh, I was watching on the live stream. You guys have kids on the same team now and they're playing doubles together.'" - Mary Joe Fernandez on watching sons at the ITA Indoors ⁷

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS - WTA 1000

Center Court

◆ Clara Tauson (12) vs Jessica Pegula (4)

◆ Mirra Andreeva (5) vs Amanda Anisimova (2)

◆ Coco Gauff (3) vs Alexandra Eala

◆ Antonia Ruzic (LL) vs Elina Svitolina (7)

QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN - Quarterfinal

Center Court

◆ Andrey Rublev (5) vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas

◆ Jiri Lehecka (8) vs Arthur Fils

◆ Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Karen Khachanov (7)

◆ Jannik Sinner (2) vs Jakub Mensik (6)

RIO OPEN - 2nd Round

◆ Jaime Faria (LL) vs Damir Dzumhur

◆ Tomas Martin Etcheverry (8) vs Vilius Gaubas (Q)

◆ Matteo Berrettini vs Dusan Lajovic (LL)

◆ Joao Fonseca (3) vs Ignacio Buse

DELRAY BEACH OPEN - 2nd Round

Center Court

◆ Learner Tien (4) vs Miomir Kecmanovic

◆ Frances Tiafoe (8) vs Zachary Svajda (Q)

◆ Tommy Paul (5) vs Adam Walton (LL)

◆ Taylor Fritz (1) vs Rafael Jodar (NG)

¹ WTA Staff. "Gauff saves three match points, dispatches Mertens to reach Dubai quarters." WTA, Feb 18, 2026. link

² WTA Staff. "By the numbers: Eala reaches first Dubai quarterfinal to set matchup with Gauff." WTA, Feb 18, 2026. link

³ WTA Staff. "Ruzic advances to face Svitolina after Rybakina retirement." WTA, Feb 18, 2026. link

⁴ WTA Staff. "Andreeva, Anisimova set Dubai quarterfinal meeting after belated starts." WTA, Feb 18, 2026. link

⁵ ATP Staff. "Fils working with 'hell of a champion' Ivanisevic." ATP Tour, Feb 18, 2026. link

⁶ ATP Staff. "Cobolli's key to snapping losing run in Delray Beach: the power of The Hulk!" ATP Tour, Feb 18, 2026. link

⁷ Sharko, Greg. "Lindsay Davenport, Mary Joe Fernandez watch sons win NCAA debut together 30 years after their Roland Garros triumph." Tennis.com, Feb 18, 2026. link

Additional Sources

McKiernan, Patrick. "Carlos Alcaraz Overcomes Second-Set Dip To Beat Royer In Doha." Ubitennis, Feb 18, 2026. link

Fairbairn, Tony. "Arthur Fils Reaches Doha Quarter-Finals, Announces Ivanisevic Partnership." Ubitennis, Feb 18, 2026. link

Addicott, Adam. "Walkovers, Retirements Continue In Dubai As Sick Rybakina Quits." Ubitennis, Feb 18, 2026. link

West, Andy. "Alcaraz reels in Royer in Doha, sets Khachanov QF clash." ATP Tour, Feb 18, 2026. link

Coombe, Jerome. "Sinner holds off Popyrin to push ATP 500 streak into Doha QFs." ATP Tour, Feb 18, 2026. link

Coombe, Jerome. "Ruud, new father, returns 'to win matches and see if I can play for more than myself.'" ATP Tour, Feb 18, 2026. link

WTA Staff. "Pegula conquers 'mini-me' in Jovic, faces Tauson in Dubai quarterfinals." WTA, Feb 18, 2026. link

Macpherson, Alex. "From karate kid to Dubai's luckiest loser, get to know Antonia Ruzic." WTA, Feb 18, 2026. link