The Doha Cat returned to watch more tennis at Qatar Open

A local cat who likes tennis is grabbing global headlines at the Qatar Open.

The cat running on the court during the match between Ons Jabeur of Tunisia and Sofia Kenin of the United States at the WTA, Tennis Damen Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025 tennis tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, on February 12, 2025. / IMAGO / Naushad

A stray cat ran onto the court during Tuesday night's women's singles match between Aryna Sabalenka and Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Round of 32 at the Qatar Open (called the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025 or Doha Open).

The "Doha Cat" seemed unbothered by its surroundings, casually strolling down the court. Even though it felt like a sign that Sabalenka would win (given her tiger moniker), it proved to be a red herring.

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Nevertheless, the cat quickly became a sensation among tennis fans all over the world. Social media has lit up with memes and comments about the cat. Even American men's tennis star Taylor Fritz called the moment his "dream" on the court.

Much to the delight of tennis fans, the cat returned on Wednesday. It ran onto the court during the second set of the Round of 16 match between Ons Jabeur and Sofia Kenin. Sadly, the cat was not allowed to stay on the court for the remainder of the match.

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Jabeur won the match in two sets: 6-3, 6-4. Hopefully, we get to see the "Doha Cat" when Jabeur takes on Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals tomorrow morning. The Doha WTA 1000 runs through Sunday, February 16.

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