It was a battle that promised fireworks, and the Round of 32 clash between Qinwen Zheng and Alycia Parks at the 2026 Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha certainly delivered. On a brisk Tuesday, February 10, at the Khalifa International Complex’s Grandstand 1, two of tennis’s most intriguing talents squared off for a spot in the tournament’s last sixteen. With Zheng ranked No. 26 and Parks at No. 77, the odds, history, and recent form all pointed to a tightly contested showdown—and that’s exactly what fans got.
Zheng, the reigning Paris Olympics gold medalist and a five-time tour-level champion over the past four years, entered the match as the favorite. Betting lines across major sportsbooks reflected this, with Zheng holding odds between -251 and -275 to claim victory, while Parks was the underdog at around +210. Dimers’ advanced tennis model gave Zheng a 67% chance of winning, with a 64% probability of taking the opening set. Yet, as any tennis fan knows, numbers only tell part of the story.
Both players arrived in Doha with something to prove. Zheng, still settling into her rhythm in just her second match of the season, had already showcased her trademark power and precision in a comeback win over former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin. In that Round of 64 encounter, Zheng hammered 20 aces and 43 winners, eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-1, 6-2—a statement victory that underscored her status as one of the sport’s rising stars.
Parks, on the other hand, was riding a wave of momentum after qualifying for the main draw and notching her eighth career top-20 win by eliminating No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider in a grueling 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) first-round triumph. The American, who has battled through elbow injuries and a fluctuating ranking (her career best is No. 40), was hunting for a second career championship run in Doha. Her hard-court record over the past year stood at 18-20, with a 67.2% service game win percentage and 30.7% on return games—solid, if not spectacular, numbers that hinted at her potential to cause an upset.
The head-to-head record between Zheng and Parks was knotted at 1-1 heading into the match, with both previous meetings taking place on German clay in 2022 and 2023. This, however, was their first encounter on a hard court—a surface where Zheng had posted a 7-5 record in five tournaments over the past year, winning 70.5% of her service games and 37.5% of her return games, converting 48.9% of break points.
As the match got underway—scheduled for 17:30 local time, but with coverage available across Tennis Channel, WTA TV, TSN, DAZN, ESPN International, beIN Sports, Setanta Sports, Sky Sports, and SuperSport—fans settled in for what quickly became a rollercoaster affair. The first set was a nail-biter, with both players trading powerful serves and baseline winners. Parks, wielding her trademark aggression, kept Zheng on her toes, but the Chinese star’s superior court coverage and heavy ball-striking ultimately tipped the tiebreak in her favor, 7-6(4).
Undeterred, Parks roared back in the second set. She capitalized on a slight dip in Zheng’s first-serve percentage and found her range on returns, breaking serve at a crucial moment to seize the set 6-3. At this point, it looked like the American might just pull off the upset that some bold bettors (and predictive models) had hinted at. According to one betting analysis, “the top play to make on this match is Alycia Parks to win,” even as the majority of simulations favored Zheng.
But Zheng, as she’s proven time and again, thrives under pressure. In the decisive third set, she dialed up her intensity, mixing deep groundstrokes with deft touch at the net. Parks’ level, which had dipped in longer rallies throughout the match, began to waver as Zheng raced ahead. Ultimately, Zheng closed out the match 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-2—an impressive display of resilience and tactical acumen.
With this victory, Zheng not only advanced to the pre-quarterfinals but also matched her most significant achievement at this tournament to date. The win boosted her Doha prize money by $23,250, bringing her total earnings at the event to $49,250. Should she win her next match—against either No. 2 seed and defending Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina or China’s Xinyu Wang—she stands to double that figure, a testament to both the stakes and the quality of competition in Doha this year.
The head-to-head between Zheng and Parks now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Chinese star, further cementing her status as a player to watch on the WTA Tour. For Parks, the loss was a setback but also a sign of her progress; after all, she’s now notched another hard-fought three-setter against a top-tier opponent and remains a dangerous floater in any draw.
The broader context of the tournament also deserves mention. Elsewhere in Doha, big names like Iga Swiatek, Elina Svitolina, Varvara Gracheva, Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, Ann Li, Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Maria Sakkari, Karolina Muchova, Daria Kasatkina, Victoria Mboko, Karolina Pliskova, and Mirra Andreeva all advanced, setting up a tantalizing slate of matches in the days ahead.
Looking back at the numbers, Parks finished the past 12 months converting 43.2% of her break-point chances on hard courts (124 of 287), while Zheng’s conversion rate stood at 48.9% (43 out of 88). These small margins, especially in a match as tightly contested as this one, can make all the difference. And while Parks’ underdog status was backed by odds-makers and predictive models offering her between a 24% and 33% chance of victory, Zheng’s consistency and championship pedigree ultimately shone through.
As the dust settles in Doha, all eyes now turn to Zheng’s next challenge. Will she continue her march toward another title, or will a new rival emerge to halt her progress? For Alycia Parks, the journey continues—her aggressive game and fighting spirit guarantee she’ll remain a player to watch as the tour rolls on.
In a tournament packed with storylines and rising stars, Zheng’s victory over Parks was a reminder of why tennis fans love the sport: unpredictability, drama, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. The 2026 Qatar Open rolls forward, and with it, the hopes and dreams of the WTA’s best and brightest.