Preview: Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs. Emma Raducanu - Dubai prediction, head-to-head, form

Hopefully refreshed and revitalised after a brief period of ill health, Emma Raducanu begins her Dubai Tennis Championships campaign against Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Monday's first-round battle.

The Briton's Qatar Open campaign ended prematurely due to sickness, while her Italian foe made it through qualifying to earn a date with the 2021 US Open winner.

Match preview

In what has been a recurring theme of her embryonic career so far, Raducanu's steady progress was halted by factors largely out of her control, as illness firstly contributed to a heavy Transylvania Open final defeat to Sorana Cirstea.

The 23-year-old's barnstorming run to the final in Romania - just her second top-level championship match after New York 2021 - nevertheless propelled her into the top 25 of the WTA rankings and offered heightened optimism for a critical 2026 season.

A jaunt to the Middle East followed for Raducanu, who took the first set with ease against Camila Osorio in her Qatar Open opener, but the South American levelled the match before the ailing Briton called it quits.

A week-long hiatus ought to have done Raducanu - still on the lookout for a new permanent coach - the world of good as she prepares to return to Dubai, where she took down familiar victim Maria Sakkari before suffering an exit at the hands of Karolina Muchova last year.

However, the British number one's short-lived 2025 Dubai campaign was overshadowed by the intrusion of a spectator demonstrating "fixated behaviour" at her match with Muchova, an incident that left Raducanu in tears behind the umpire's chair.

Already taking to the court twice in Dubai this year, Raducanu's upcoming opponent Cocciaretto navigated her way through two taxing qualifiers to progress to the first round, taking down both Donna Vekic and Anastasia Zakharova.

The Italian recovered from a first-set bagel against Vekic to seal a tremendous three-set comeback win, before saving three consecutive match points in her skirmish with Zakharova to reach the tournament proper.

Despite sitting 32 places lower than Raducanu in the WTA Tour rankings, Cocciaretto leads the Briton 2-1 on the WTA Tour titles front, winning one of those crowns as recently as January at the Hobart International.

The 25-year-old made further headlines at the Qatar Open, where as a lucky loser, she shocked Coco Gauff in the second round and advanced to the quarter-finals, where she fell short against Jelena Ostapenko.

Also a two-time Billie Jean King Cup winner with Italy, Cocciaretto undeniably possesses the tools to disrupt Raducanu's flow, as she bids for a possible third-round clash with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.

Tournament so far

Elisabetta Cocciaretto:

Qualifying first round: vs. Donna Vekic 0-6 6-3 6-2

Qualifying second round: vs. Anastasia Zakharova 6-2 6-7[3] 7-5

Head To Head

Monday's first-round match will mark the maiden meeting between right-handers Raducanu and Cocciaretto on the WTA Tour.

The Italian holds the statistical serving edge over the Briton, having registered 18 aces and 23 double faults compared to Raducanu's 10 in the former and 28 in the latter category in 2026.

However, the world number 25 has converted 76% of her break points in the current season, while Cocciaretto's success rate in such moments lies at 57%.

We say: Raducanu to win in three sets

Cocciaretto's qualifier status should not be taken at face value, as the Italian has already proven her hard-court credentials with her triumph in Hobart and her Gauff giant-killing in Qatar.

The world number 57 may be carrying fatigue from two lengthy qualifiers, though, and if Raducanu has fully recovered from her recent ailment, the Briton has our vote to ruthlessly capitalise on break opportunities and earn a ticket to round two.