Match News and Form
Victoria Mboko continues to reach new milestones in her booming career. The 19-year-old is set to become the fourth Canadian player in history to reach the WTA top 10 after defeating two-time finalist Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2, on Friday from an early break down, and has become a Doha finalist.
After winning eight singles matches across three cities in Australia last month, Mboko was determined to have a solid Qatar Open debut. She has done that after knocking out Mirra Andreeva and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in three sets en route to her fourth career final and the second at the WTA 1000 level.
Karolina Muchova lost a set for the first time in the campaign while facing Maria Sakkari on late Friday evening, but the setback did not prevent her from securing a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 comeback win and ending her four-match semi-final losing streak. Consequently, she has reached her first final since Beijing in late 2024.
Muchova enjoyed relatively stable form in the run-up to Doha. While she had reached just four quarter-finals in the last twelve months, some of them had come at events such as Dubai and the US Open. She comfortably won in the first four rounds, which included setting aside Anna Kalinskaya and rising star Tereza Valentova.
Head-to-Head
This will be their first meeting.
Stats & Facts
Muchova, a former top-10 player, has won just one WTA title to date after losing five of six career finals. Her last four defeats in championship matches have come against top 10 players.
The Czech, who did not meet a single seeded player en route to the finals, stands 9-14 against top 20 players since her injury comeback in 2024.
Mboko has won ten professional titles of all levels in the last four years, seven of them coming in 2025 alone, ranging from W35 events to WTA 1000 tournaments.
Mboko won her first two WTA finals, beating Naomi Osaka in Montreal and Cristina Bucsa in Hong Kong to mark her 2025 breakout, but lost the latest one to Mirra Andreeva in Adelaide last month.
Betting Analysis
Mboko’s run has been outstanding, but this final means even more for Muchova. Having lost four straight finals and having not won a title since 2019, the Czech now has a golden opportunity to end that drought.
Muchova in 2026
Best results: Doha (Final)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Doha (Final)
Record: 11-2
Record in the last 10 matches: 8-2
Record on outdoor hard courts: 11-2
Record against top 20: 2-2 (career 32-37)
Record in WTA 1000 finals: 0-0 (career 0-2)
Record in finals: 0-0 (career 1-5)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (Round of 16)
Muchova at the Qatar Open
Career record: 9-3
Best result: Final (2026)
Last year's result: did not play
Record in finals: 0-0
Preparation: none
Road to the final: Cristian (6-2, 6-3), Valentova (6-1, 6-4), Pliskova (5:2 ret.), Kalinskaya (6-3, 6-4), Sakkari (3-6, 6-4, 6-1)
Mboko in 2026
Best results: Adelaide (Final)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Adelaide (Final)
Record: 13-3
Record in the last 10 matches: 8-2
Record on outdoor hard courts: 13-3
Record against top 20: 4-3 (career 6-9)
Record in WTA 1000 finals: 0-0 (career 1-0)
Record in finals: 0-1 (career 2-1)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (Round of 16)
Mboko at the Qatar Open
Career record: 5-0
Best result: Final (2026)
Last year's result: did not play
Record in finals: 0-0
Preparation: none
Road to the final: Bouzkova (7-5, 6-2), Zvonareva (6-4, 6-4), (5) M. Andreeva (6-3, 3-6, 7-6), (2) Rybakina (7-5, 4-6, 6-4), Ostapenko (6-3, 6-2)