WTA - Dubai 1R complete

First round completed in Dubai.

2021 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships - a WTA 1000 tournament, on Hard Outdoor, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 7-14 March 2021.

2020 champion (not defending):

Simona Halep (1) who defeated Elena Rybakina 3-6 6-3 7-6(5)

The following players withdrew after the main draw was published:

- Victoria Azarenka, the seventh seed, was replaced by lucky loser Martina Trevisan due to a back injury.

Trevisan received a first round bye, the one originally given to Azarenka as the seventh seed.

- Paula Badosa was replaced by lucky loser Misaki Doi - it was an ‘excused withdrawal’

- Fiona Ferro was replaced by lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova due to fatigue 

First round results:

- Jelena Ostapenko defeated Patricia Maria Tig 6-3 6-3

- Madison Keys (11) defeated qualifier Liang En-Shuo 6-1 6-1

- Wildcard Anastasia Potapova defeated Laura Siegemund 6-3 6-2

- Jil Teichmann defeated qualifier Katerina Zavatska 6-1 6-2

- Elena Rybakina (14) defeated Zheng Saisai 6-0 6-4

- Marketa Vondrousova (12) defeated qualifier Ana Bogdan 6-4 6-4

- Qualifier Tereza Martincova defeated Kristyna Pliskova 7-6(5) 6-7(6) 6-3

- Lucky loser Misaki Doi defeated Polona Hercog 6-2 4-6 6-3

- Amanda Anisimova defeated qualifier Ana Konjuh 6-2 6-2

- Garbiñe Muguruza (9) defeated qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3 7-5

- Anett Kontaveit (15) defeated wildcard Timea Babos 6-2 6-1

- Sorana Cirstea defeated qualifier Lesia Tsurenko 6-4 6-4

- Caroline Garcia defeated Angelique Kerber 3-6 6-2 6-4

- Shelby Rogers defeated qualifier Kaia Kanepi 7-6(4) 6-2

- Elise Mertens (10) defeated lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova 4-6 6-2 6-4

- Kristina Mladenovic defeated Petra Martic (13) 7-6(2) 6-4

- Jessica Pegula defeated Yaroslava Shvedova 6-2 6-1