WTA Qatar Open: Wed Jabeur vs McCartney Kessler; Preview, head-to-head and prediction

Wed Jabeur, the highest ranked Arab woman ever in the sport, hits the courts in Doha in just a few hours! She starts her Qatar Open campaign against it in Form American, McCartney Kessler, in the first round. Jabeur has a bit of a mixed story here – a disappointing early exit last year, but also two quarter -final performances in previous years. For Kessler, this is her very first time to play in this WTA 1000 event. So the big question is: Can she pull a rebellion against the former world number 2?

Wed Jabeur Vs McCartney Kessler: Preview

By 2025 she has already made two QF races! The first came at Brisbane International, and then the second recently came on the Abu Dhabi Open. Elena Rybakina defeated her in that match with 2-6.6-4.6 (4) -7.

This year at Hobart International, McCartney beat Kessler Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the final. However, she goes into this match after her three-set defeat against Ashley Krueger in R32 of the Abu Dhabi Open.

Jabeur vs kessler: head-to-head

Wed Jabeur, has never ever played against McCartney Kessler in his career so far. So this will be their first meeting and therefore the H2H score line is now 0-0!

Prediction: Jabeur wins in three sets

Ons Jabeur comes with a huge experience on the women’s tour, and she has been part of several great matches in her career. Although she may have struggling a little with her injury problems recently, we cannot rule out a fully fit Jabeur against someone who is relatively a less experienced competitor. So McCartney Kessler, who disturbs ‘The Minister of Lykke’ on Arabic soil, looks a little unlikely at the moment. Is that?

That said, we must not forget that Kessler has won a lot of titles in the last few months, so we can certainly expect some battle from this American in this epic battle. Now, if we look at their items in 2024. Wed Jabeur (35) had a win-loss record of 16-15 in 2024, but by 2025 it is 8-4 right now. On the other hand, Kessler (55) had a win-loss record of 8-10 in the last season, but this season she has recorded 6-3 so far.

Now, if we move our focus to their playing styles, McCartney Kessler is known for his constant baseline game and attacking thinking. She has a great serving and a strong two -handed backhand in her armor. With its strong serving and consistent baseline games, Kessler has dominated opponents with strategic shooting locations and Swift footwork. On his day, Kessler can really become a really tough competitor to beat.

On the other hand, Wed Jabeur loves to bring variation to her game and she has a unique ability to hit some extraordinary shots from extraordinary positions on the field. Jabeur can also hide his opponents with his incredible slices and drop shots. She can hit winners in various ways, including backhand drop shots from Baseline or Forehhands up the line.

It will be important for the American to throw a challenge at Jabeur right from the start, otherwise it would be very difficult for her to bring a favorable result from this match. Given all these factors, I feel that the experienced (read fit) Wed Jabeur will have the last laughter in their first meeting!