A first victory in the emirate would move the world No. 1 closer to the milestone of 100 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings DUBAI: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is looking to banish the memory of defeat to Barbora Krejcikova in the final of the 2023 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and edge closer to a landmark 100 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings. The annual WTA 1000 tournament and the ATP 500 men’s event will run back-to-back from Feb. 18 to March 2 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Four-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek, who suffered a shock loss to unseeded Linda Noskova in the third round of last month’s Australian Open, will be determined to redeem herself in Dubai, especially after falling in last year’s final to world No. 11 Krejcikova. The 22-year-old Polish sensation currently holds the top spot in the official WTA rankings with 9,770 points, boasting an 865-point lead over two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who will also be competing in Dubai. Having maintained her position at No. 1 for 89 weeks, Swiatek is set to jet into Dubai looking to add the city to her growing list of titles for the first time. A win in the emirate would extend her lead to 1,395 points and bring her closer to the 100-week milestone as the world’s top-ranked female player. The last player to reach the milestone was Ashleigh Barty, who recorded 121 weeks at the top of the standings before retiring in March 2022. “Each year, we look to attract the world’s best players to our tournament,” said Salah Tahlak, joint chief operating officer of Dubai Duty Free and tournament director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. “We are obviously delighted to have Iga joining us again. To have the world’s top-ranked female player compete in Dubai is great for the tournament, great for the city, and of course great for Iga too as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has regularly been voted ‘Tournament of the Year’ by players on both the ATP and WTA Tour.” With 17 of the world’s top 20 female players, including Swiatek, world No. 3 Coco Gauff, and world No. 5 Elena Rybakina confirmed, this year’s WTA tournament — which recently had its 1000 status made permanent — has one of its strongest fields on record. And with only 10 days until the first round gets underway, fans are being urged to buy their tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.