The WTA’s Daredevil

That reference isn’t for everyone ^^ (Marvel fans, welcome)

Rebecca Šramková is one of the most singular stories on tour. Handicapped by a congenital eye malformation that reduces the vision in her left eye, she plays with extreme sensitivity to light (she often wears specific lenses). That hasn’t stopped her from producing a thunderous start to the 2026 season.

Here in Dubai, she was impressive in qualifying. In her first-round match against Antonia Ružić, she was down a set and a break in the second before completely turning things around to win (5-7, 7-5, 6-1). She’s a player with strong character who, despite her disability, has one of the heaviest shots in the top 100. An ultra-aggressive baseliner.

Varvara Gracheva, for her part, is flying solo this season. Without an official coach since leaving Caleb Simms’s camp, the Frenchwoman paradoxically seems more liberated. Her start to 2026 was highlighted by a second-round appearance at the Australian Open, where she upset Golubic. In Dubai qualifying, she showed renewed solidity, not dropping a set against Priscilla Hon before emerging victorious from a 2h32 battle against Magdalena Fręch (6-4, 4-6, 7-5). Varvara is banking on flawless fitness and an ability to wear down her opponents mentally by sending one more ball back, a strategy that pays off on this surface where she already feels at home.

The matchup promises to be tight, as the two players are tied 1–1 in their head-to-heads, with Rebecca Šramková having won their most recent duel in Hobart in January (2–1). The key to the match will lie in Varvara Gracheva’s ability to move the Slovak around. Šramková loves to dictate play with power, but she can get frustrated if she’s forced to hit on the stretch. On New Court 1, which is more exposed to the wind, Varvara’s consistency could be a major asset against Rebecca’s high-risk game. If the match goes long, the physical edge seems to tilt toward the Frenchwoman, but watch out for the Slovak’s serve, as she saved 80% of the break points she faced in her last match.