Almost 12 months after her WTA 125 doubles breakthrough alongside Taylah Preston in Cancun, Maya Joint won the biggest doubles title of her career in Abu Dhabi.
Joint paired with Ekaterina Alexandrova to win her first WTA 500 crown. The teenager becomes the second-straight Australian to claim the doubles title in Abu Dhabi, after Ellen Perez triumphed with Jelena Ostapenko in 2025.
> MORE: Perez triumphs in Abu Dhabi
Joint and Alexandrova rallied from a set down in the final against No.4 seeds Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls to secure a thrilling 3-6 7-6(5) [10-8] victory.
It is the Australian’s second WTA doubles title after she emerged victorious in Rabat, Morocco alongside Oksana Kalashnikova in May 2025.
This week's most outstanding performers include:
Talia Gibson: The West Australian continued her strong start to the 2026 season, winning an ITF W75 event in Brisbane, her first title of the year. Gibson did not drop a set for the tournament, defeating Japan’s Nao Hibino in the final.
> READ: Gibson and Sweeny maintain dominance in Brisbane
Dane Sweeny: After winning 34 of his last 39 Pro Tour matches to end 2025, Sweeny recaptured that form to win his maiden ATP Challenger crown at the first Australian Pro Tour event of 2026 in Brisbane.
Marc Polmans and Blake Bayldon: The No.4 seeds prevailed against Sweeny and Jake Delaney in the doubles final to win the Brisbane Challenger. Polmans adds to his impressive start to his doubles year after advancing to the Australian Open men’s doubles final with Jason Kubler.
Tristan Schoolkate: The 24-year-old was one win away from successfully defending his Brisbane 1 Challenger title, not dropping a set en route to the final. Schoolkate claimed the opening set against Sweeny in the final before losing two tiebreak sets.
Calum Puttergill: The world No.280 paired with American George Holdhoff to reach the final of the Cleveland Challenger. Puttergill reaches his second Challenger final of 2026 after achieving the feat with Jake Delaney in Noumea, New Caledonia last month.
Blake Ellis: The Victorian advanced to his second-straight Challenger semifinal to begin the season, replicating his efforts from Noumea last month into Brisbane. His run included defeating No.4 seed James McCabe in the quarterfinals.
Petra Hule and Elena Micic: Regularly featuring at the pointy end of Pro Tour events in 2025, Hule and Micic regained that form as they progressed to the doubles final in Brisbane.
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