Lovely kitten interrupts WTA match in Doha, but doesn't bring good luck to World No. 1 Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka, World No. 1, hasn't started 2025 well. She lost in the Australian Open final to World No. 19 Madison Keys, and yesterday she bit the dust again, losing in the round of 32, her first round, of the Doha Open, against Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The WTA 1000 event in Qatar had Sabalenka as the favourite for the title, that she won in 2020. However, after a win in the first set, Russian player Alexandrova fought back: 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) in 2 hours, 36 minutes... and with a special guess: a kitten who burst into court the middle of the match.

Alexandrova, World No. 26, who in her previous round had defeated British player Emma Raducanu, said that "it was a very difficult match to play against her, because she's a fighter and she plays every single point, not matter what. I told myself before the match that you just need to do the maximum you can do tonight, and if you lose, you know that you've tried everything."

Not the only stun in Doha: World No. 3 Coco Gauff also lost in her first match against Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk. Spanish player aula Badosa also lost against American player Amanda Anisimova.