Fantasy Predictions: Carlos Alcaraz v Novak Djokovic, and Aryna Sabalenka v Iga Swiatek

Tennis365 17 Feb 2025 11:44 AM

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open

There are three big tournaments in the world of tennis this coming week with a WTA 1000 event taking place in the Middle East while there are two ATP 500 tournaments on the calendar.

All the big names in women’s tennis will be in the United Arab Emirates for the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships while Doha hosts the Qatar Open and Brazil will stage the Rio Open.

Our writers Kevin Palmer, Shahida Jacobs, Ewan West, and Oli Dickson Jefford predict their winners for the three events.

(WTA 1000) Dubai Tennis Championships – women’s singles

KP: Let’s go with Aryna Sabalenka to bounce back here following her upset second-round defeat at the Qatar Open.

SJ: After the shocks of Doha, think the big guns will return to form in Dubai and Iga Swiatek will win her first title in the UAE.

EW: It’s hard to see both of the WTA’s ‘Big Two’ missing out for the second 1000 event in a row, so I’ll say Aryna Sabalenka gets back to winning ways.

OJ: Absent this week

(ATP 500) Qatar Open – men’s singles

KP: Carlos Alcaraz to continue his good form and win his second title of the 2025 season.

SJ: Sign me up for the Novak Djokovic 100 singles title party.

EW: The draw has set up a potential semi-final blockbuster between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, and I’ll back the Spaniard to go all the way on the back of his impressive Rotterdam triumph.

OJ: Absent this week

(ATP 500) Rio Open – men’s singles

KP: Alexander Zverev looks to be the class of the field here in South America.

SJ: Think Ben Shelton will serve his way to another title.

EW: Alexander Zverev faces some tricky challenges in his Rio path, but the fact he got two matches under his belt in Buenos Aires last week should be good preparation.

OJ: Absent this week

T365 Fantasy Predictions So Far:

T365 Week 7 Predictions: Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz backed heavily as Alexander Zverev also get some picks

T365 Week 6 Predictions: Carlos Alcaraz snubbed as Elena Rybakina, Taylor Fritz backed

T365 Fantasy

This season, our writers are competing to see who can earn as many points as possible by predicting the champions at every ATP and WTA-level tournament.

Five points are available for a correct champion pick, with three for a runner-up, and one for a semi-finalist.

This becomes seven points for a champion, five for a runner-up, three for a semi-finalist, and one for a quarter-finalist at Grand Slams.

Week 6 was a strong one for Oli – who has opened a nice gap over the rest – as he picked up seven points after getting a correct pick for Anastasia Potapova at the Transylvania Open. His rivals all scored lowly (Shahida 2, Ewan 1, Kevin 0).