Sometimes a tournament opens up. Sometimes a player walks through it with conviction.
At the Abu Dhabi Open, Sara Bejlek did both — and then some. What began as a week shaped by early exits from established names turned into a statement run from a 20-year-old qualifier who never dropped a set and left the Middle East with the biggest title of her career.
An Open Draw, a Ruthless Run
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Open quickly took an unexpected turn. Defending champion Belinda Bencic was forced out early, while other high-profile names such as Emma Navarro exited well before the business end of the tournament. By the later rounds, the spotlight had shifted to players operating on the fringes of the elite.
One of them was Ekaterina Alexandrova — newly established in the Top 10 after years as a dangerous floaters, particularly effective at WTA 500 level. Given her experience and consistency, the Russian entered the final as the favourite.
But Sara Bejlek had other ideas.
Bejlek Delivers When It Matters Most
Bejlek capped off a flawless week with a 7–6, 6–1 victory over Alexandrova in the final, showing both composure and authority. Earlier in the tournament, she survived a grueling semi-final against Clara Tauson (7–5, 3–6, 7–5), dismantled Sonay Kartal 6–0, 6–2, and removed former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko 6–4, 6–3 in the round of 16.
Her campaign had begun with a confident 6–3, 6–0 win over Ashlyn Krueger — a tone-setter for what was to follow.
From Qualifying to Champion
What makes Bejlek’s triumph even more remarkable is the path she took to get there. The Czech left-hander had already played — and won — two qualifying matches before entering the main draw, meaning she logged more victories than anyone else in the field.
Ranked No. 101 at the start of the week, the former Roland Garros junior doubles champion arrived without expectations but left with a career-defining result. In the final, she absorbed Alexandrova’s late surge, saved two set points at 5–6, and then flipped the tie-break after trailing 2–4, winning five of the last six points with fearless shot-making.
Bejlek vs Alexandrova – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Bejlek | Alexandrova |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.14 | 0.88 |
| Serve Rating | 271 | 257 |
| Aces | 3 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 74% (31/42) | 62% (33/53) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 68% (21/31) | 58% (19/33) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 45% (5/11) | 55% (11/20) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (1/2) | 67% (2/3) |
| Service Games | 83% (5/6) | 83% (5/6) |
| Ace % | 7.1% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 4.8% | 1.9% |
| Return Rating | 137 | 154 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 42% (14/33) | 32% (10/31) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 45% (9/20) | 55% (6/11) |
| Break Points Won | 33% (1/3) | 50% (1/2) |
| Return Games | 17% (1/6) | 17% (1/6) |
| Pressure Points | 40% (2/5) | 60% (3/5) |
| Service Points | 62% (26/42) | 57% (30/53) |
| Return Points | 43% (23/53) | 38% (16/42) |
| Total Points | 52% (49/95) | 48% (46/95) |
| Set 1 Duration | 1h12m | |
The point that brought up set point in the tie-break was outrageous — a looping Bejlek-forehand that landed right on the corner after a ferocious rally.
Alexandrova appeared shattered and out of energy. It became clear that resetting would be difficult, and events quickly confirmed it.
Once she broke early in the second set, the momentum swung decisively. Bejlek reeled off ten consecutive points from 2–1 to 5–1, closing the door with authority.
A Historic Title and a Rankings Leap
By lifting the trophy, Bejlek joined Bencic as an unseeded champion in Abu Dhabi — but went a step further. She became the first qualifier ever to win the tournament and the first Czech woman to claim the title.
Already having reached a career-high inside the Top 75 late last season, Bejlek is now projected to break into the Top 50 in the upcoming rankings update — a reward that feels fully earned after a week of sustained excellence.
For Sara Bejlek, Abu Dhabi was not just a breakthrough. It was an arrival.