Iva Jovic defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6–1, 1–6, 6–1 in the first round of the Dubai WTA 1000 on hard court on 16 February 2026, confirming her pre-match favourite status with odds of 1.22. The Serbian player dominated the opening set decisively before Rakhimova responded with a commanding second set, only for Jovic to reassert control in the decider with another commanding performance. The emphatic nature of the first and third sets underscores Jovic's superiority on the surface, though the middle-set collapse warrants scrutiny. The result maintains Jovic's momentum in the early stages of the season as she advances deeper into the Dubai draw.