# 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships – Women's singles

Defending champion Elina Svitolina defeated Daria Kasatkina in the final, 6–4, 6–0 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships.
En route to the final, Kasatkina saved match points in two different matches: against Johanna Konta and Garbiñe Muguruza in her second-round and semifinal matches, respectively.
Since Caroline Wozniacki was defending finalist points from 2017 and chose not to participate this year, Simona Halep regained the WTA no. 1 singles ranking at the conclusion of the tournament.

## Seeds

The top four seeds received a bye into the second round.
* Elina Svitolina (champion)
* Garbiñe Muguruza (semifinals)
* Karolína Plíšková (quarterfinals)
* Jeļena Ostapenko (second round)
* Caroline Garcia (quarterfinals)
* Angelique Kerber (semifinals)
* Johanna Konta (second round)
* Kristina Mladenovic (first round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Elina Svitolina | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 6 | Angelique Kerber | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| 6 | Angelique Kerber | 3 | 3 | | 1 | Elina Svitolina | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | Daria Kasatkina | 4 | 0 |
| | Daria Kasatkina | 3 | 7$^{13}$ | 6 | | Daria Kasatkina | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | Garbiñe Muguruza | 6 | 6$^{11}$ | 1 | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | | | | | 1 | E Svitolina | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| LL | Q Wang | 6 | 6 | | LL | Q Wang | 1 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | K Bertens | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | 1 | E Svitolina | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Kontaveit | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | WC | N Osaka | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| Q | S Stosur | 6 | 2 | 4 | | A Kontaveit | 2 | 6$^5$ | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | N Osaka | 6 | 6 | | WC | N Osaka | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | K Mladenovic | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | E Svitolina | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | A Kerber | 3 | 3 |
| | | | | | 3 | Ka Plíšková | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Zhuk | 2 | 2 | | | C Suárez Navarro | 7 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Suárez Navarro | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | Ka Plíšková | 4 | 3 | | | | |
| Q | S Errani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | A Kerber | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | L Tsurenko | 4 | 3 | | Q | S Errani | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Strýcová | 2 | 1 | | 6 | A Kerber | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | A Kerber | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 7/WC | J Konta | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Pavlyuchenkova | 6$^2$ | 2 | | 7/WC | J Konta | 6 | 6$^6$ | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Kasatkina | 7 | 6 | | | D Kasatkina | 4 | 7$^8$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Radwańska | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | D Kasatkina | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | |
| | E Vesnina | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | E Vesnina | 6$^5$ | 1 | | | | | |
| | S Peng | 4 | 5 | | | E Vesnina | 6 | 7$^8$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4/WC | J Ostapenko | 1 | 6$^6$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | D Kasatkina | 3 | 7$^{13}$ | 6 |
| 5 | C Garcia | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | G Muguruza | 6 | 6$^{11}$ | 1 |
| | L Šafářová | 3 | 5 | | 5 | C Garcia | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Makarova | 3 | 7$^{11}$ | 6 | | E Makarova | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Sevastova | 6 | 6$^9$ | 3 | | | | | | 5 | C Garcia | 5 | 2 | | | | | |
| WC | C Bellis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | G Muguruza | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | E Mertens | 3 | 3 | | WC | C Bellis | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | G Muguruza | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |

## Qualifying
### Seeds

* Carla Suárez Navarro (moved to main draw)
* Lesia Tsurenko (qualified)
* Samantha Stosur (qualified)
* Wang Qiang (qualifying competition, Lucky loser)
* Naomi Osaka (Received wildcard to main draw)
* Zarina Diyas (qualifying competition)
* Markéta Vondroušová (first round)
* Maria Sakkari (qualifying competition)
* Camila Giorgi (second round, retired)
* Aryna Sabalenka (qualifying competition)

### Qualifiers

* Sara Errani
* Lesia Tsurenko
* Samantha Stosur
* Sofya Zhuk

### Lucky loser

* Wang Qiang

### Draw
#### First qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 10 | Aryna Sabalenka | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Zhu Lin | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Zhu Lin | 1 | 3 | | 10 | Aryna Sabalenka | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Miyu Kato | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Chantal Škamlová | 2 | 0 | | | Miyu Kato | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Miyu Kato | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Miyu Kato | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 10 | Aryna Sabalenka | 2 | 6 | 6$^4$ |
| | | | | | | | | | | Sara Errani | 6 | 1 | 7$^7$ |
| | Sara Errani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Sara Errani | 6 | 1 | 7$^7$ |
| Alt | Shuko Aoyama | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alt | Shuko Aoyama | 1 | 0 | | | Sara Errani | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Bernarda Pera | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Bernarda Pera | 0 | 6 | 6 | | Bernarda Pera | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| 7 | Markéta Vondroušová | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Second qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 2 | Lesia Tsurenko | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Duan Yingying | 7 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | Duan Yingying | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | Lesia Tsurenko | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | WC | Ons Jabeur | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| WC | Ons Jabeur | 6$^5$ | 6 | 6 | WC | Ons Jabeur | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| WC | Fatma Al-Nabhani | 7$^7$ | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | Fatma Al-Nabhani | 7$^7$ | 0 | 2 | | | | | 2 | Lesia Tsurenko | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 6 | Zarina Diyas | 1 | 2 |
| Alt | Veronika Kudermetova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Zarina Diyas | 1 | 2 |
| Alt | Katarina Zavatska | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Alt | Katarina Zavatska | 3 | 0 | | Alt | Veronika Kudermetova | 0 | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Zarina Diyas | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| WC | Eden Silva | 1 | 3 | | 6 | Zarina Diyas | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| 6 | Zarina Diyas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Third qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 3/WC | Samantha Stosur | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Alt | Ankita Raina | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Alt | Ankita Raina | 4 | 4 | | 3/WC | Samantha Stosur | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Christina McHale | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | Christina McHale | 7 | 6 | | | Christina McHale | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | Amandine Hesse | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Amandine Hesse | 5 | 3 | | | | | | 3/WC | Samantha Stosur | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 8 | Maria Sakkari | 1 | 4 |
| PR | Kristína Kučová | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | 8 | Maria Sakkari | 1 | 4 |
| | Hsieh Su-wei | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Hsieh Su-wei | 6 | 4 | 6 | | Hsieh Su-wei | 5 | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Maria Sakkari | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | Wang Yafan | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | Maria Sakkari | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| 8 | Maria Sakkari | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

#### Fourth qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 4 | Wang Qiang | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Valentyna Ivakhnenko | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Valentyna Ivakhnenko | 1 | 0 | | 4 | Wang Qiang | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Danka Kovinić | 2 | 7 | 3 | | | | |
| | Junri Namigata | 6 | 6$^5$ | 3 | | Danka Kovinić | 2 | 7 | 3 | | | | |
| | Danka Kovinić | 4 | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Danka Kovinić | 4 | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | 4 | Wang Qiang | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Sofya Zhuk | 6 | 6 |
| | Alexandra Dulgheru | 6$^2$ | 6$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | | Sofya Zhuk | 6 | 6 |
| | Sofya Zhuk | 7$^7$ | 7$^9$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sofya Zhuk | 7$^7$ | 7$^9$ | | | Sofya Zhuk | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | Camila Giorgi | 6 | 3$^r$ | | | | | |
| | Nao Hibino | 2 | 3 | | 9 | Camila Giorgi | 6 | 3$^r$ | | | | | |
| 9 | Camila Giorgi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |