Former top 10 player wins just one game in first round thrashing at the Qatar Open

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The Qatar Open has already seen some big surprises at this year’s tournament.

Doha is hosting the first WTA 1000 tournament of the season once again, but is without the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka.

However, there are still many big names in the draw, including the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.

Defending champion Amanda Anisimova is already out of the tournament, and a former top 10 player has also suffered a shock defeat in the first round of the Qatar Open.

Beatriz Haddad Maia suffers heavy defeat at the Qatar Open

Beatriz Haddad Maia has a career-high ranking of world number 10, which she achieved in 2023, the same year that she reached the semifinals of the French Open.

However, after struggling to replicate this form in 2025, Haddad Maia fell outside the world’s top 60 and ended her season early in a bid to rest both her body and mind.

Haddad Maia returned to competition at the start of the 2026 season, but she has only been able to win one match during this time.

That came in the first round of qualifying at the Qatar Open, where Haddad Maia beat unranked Qatari Mubaraka Al-Naimi without losing a game.

Haddad Maia would then lose in the second round of qualifying to Anastasia Zakharova, but after Sorana Cirstea withdrew from the Qatar Open she would receive a lifeline as a lucky loser.

This would place her in the first round of the Qatar Open against Indonesian star Janice Tjen, and Haddad Maia would fail to win more than one game after being beaten, 6-0 6-1.

Haddad Maia has still never won a match at the Qatar Open, and this is the heaviest defeat of her career on the WTA Tour.

What is next for Beatriz Haddad Maia?

Haddad Maia will now look to move on from this hugely disappointing defeat and overall start to the season.

Despite competing at the Qatar Open, Haddad Maia is not entered into the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai.

Instead, Haddad Maia will now have a week away from competition before she plays her next tournament.

That next tournament will be at the Merida Open, where Liudmila Samsonova and Emma Navarro will be the top two seeds.

Haddad Maia will attempt to win back-to-back matches at this tournament for the first time since September.