Singapore Tennis Open 2026 returns as a WTA 500 event
The Singapore Tennis Open 2026 is set to begin September 21 as the WTA Tour moves into the final stretch of its season and launches the 2026 Asian Swing. The tournament has taken a major step forward after being upgraded from a WTA 250 event to a WTA 500 tournament.
Main-draw action will take place at the OCBC Arena in Kallang, Singapore, from September 21 through September 27. The singles final is scheduled for September 27, not before 5 p.m. local time, while the doubles final will be played earlier that afternoon.
The tournament is also entering its second year after returning to the WTA calendar in 2025 following a 21-year absence. Its move to WTA 500 status has brought a stronger field, greater ranking-point opportunities and a substantially higher level of competition.
Here is everything tennis fans need to know about the Singapore Tennis Open 2026, including the dates, draw, leading players, defending champion, schedule, prize money and ranking points.
1. When is the Singapore Tennis Open 2026?
The Singapore Tennis Open 2026 runs from Monday, September 21, through Sunday, September 27.
Singles qualifying is being held over the weekend before the main draw begins. The main tournament then progresses through six days of singles competition before the champion is crowned on September 27.
Singapore Tennis Open 2026 singles schedule
- First round: September 21-22
- Second round: September 23-24
- Quarterfinals: September 25
- Semifinals: September 26
- Final: September 27
The doubles competition follows a slightly different schedule:
- First round: September 21-22
- Quarterfinals: September 23-24
- Semifinals: September 25-26
- Final: September 27
The singles championship match is scheduled to begin not before 5 p.m. Singapore time, while the doubles final is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Internal link suggestion: [WTA Tennis Schedule 2026]
2. Where is the tournament being played?
The tournament is being staged at the OCBC Arena in Kallang, Singapore.
The 2026 Singapore Tennis Open will be played on indoor hard courts, giving competitors a controlled environment during the Asian Swing. The official WTA tournament profile lists Singapore as a WTA 500 event with a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw.
Singapore operates on Singapore Standard Time, or GMT+8.
For international viewers, that means the tournament’s matches will be played considerably earlier than many European and North American tennis fans may be accustomed to seeing.
The time difference is particularly relevant for fans following the tournament from the United States. According to the WTA, Singapore is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time, seven hours ahead of British Summer Time and six hours ahead of Central European Summer Time.
3. Mirra Andreeva leads the Singapore field
One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Singapore Tennis Open 2026 is the presence of Mirra Andreeva.
The Roland Garros champion enters the tournament as the top seed. She is joined by several prominent players, including Amanda Anisimova, Alexandra Eala and defending champion Elise Mertens.
The leading direct entrants listed by the WTA are:
- Mirra Andreeva
- Amanda Anisimova
- Alexandra Eala
- Maja Chwalinska
- Elise Mertens
- Barbora Krejcikova
- Maria Sakkari
- Janice Tjen
- Donna Vekic
- Wang Xinyu
- Oleksandra Oliynykova
The field also includes Maja Chwalinska, who reached the Roland Garros final, and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krejcikova.
The top four seeds receive byes into the second round.
The singles draw consists of 28 players. It includes 20 direct entrants, four wild cards and four qualifiers.
External source: Official WTA Singapore Tennis Open 2026 page
4. Elise Mertens returns as defending champion
Elise Mertens enters the 2026 tournament with the distinction of being the first Singapore women’s singles champion of the modern edition of the event.
Mertens won the 2025 tournament after defeating Ann Li 6-1, 6-4 in the final. She was the No. 2 seed during last year’s event.
Her route to the title included victories over Taylor Townsend, Tatjana Maria, Camila Osorio and Wang Xinyu before she defeated Li in the championship match.
The victory was particularly significant because Mertens became the first woman to win the Singapore trophy since Naoko Sawamatsu in 1994. At the time, the victory gave Mertens her ninth WTA singles title and her first singles title since Tunisia in 2023.
Mertens will now attempt to defend that title against a stronger field.
The tournament’s elevation to WTA 500 status means the challenge is different from last year. She will have to navigate a draw led by Andreeva and featuring several players with substantial experience at the highest level.
5. Singapore Tennis Open 2026 prize money
The financial stakes have also increased alongside the tournament’s promotion to WTA 500 status.
The total prize pool for the Singapore Tennis Open 2026 is approximately $1,206,446.
The singles champion will receive $185,500 and 500 WTA ranking points. The runner-up will collect $114,500 and 325 points.
Singapore Tennis Open 2026 singles prize money
| Round | Ranking Points | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| First Round | 1 | $13,005 |
| Second Round | 60 | $18,045 |
| Quarterfinal | 108 | $35,000 |
| Semifinal | 195 | $66,003 |
| Finalist | 325 | $114,500 |
| Champion | 500 | $185,500 |
Players who qualify for the main draw earn 25 ranking points.
The doubles champions will receive $61,540 and 500 ranking points. The doubles runners-up will receive $37,400 and 325 points.
6. Why the ranking points matter
The Singapore tournament arrives at an important point in the WTA calendar.
The US Open has already concluded, and the tour is now moving into its Asian Swing. With the season entering its final stages, ranking points can become particularly important for players competing for improved rankings and positions in the Race to the WTA Finals.
A WTA 500 title offers 500 ranking points, giving the winner an opportunity to make a significant move compared with the smaller point totals available at lower-level events.
The broader Asian Swing will feature 10 tour-level events across seven weeks, according to the WTA’s 2026 preview. Singapore is the opening stop in that sequence.
That makes the tournament more than just a standalone event.
For players trying to build momentum late in the season, each match can have consequences for their ranking position, confidence and schedule heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
Internal link suggestion: [2026 WTA Rankings and Race to the Finals]
7. The draw could create several intriguing matchups
The 28-player format gives the Singapore tournament a compact field compared with the much larger draws seen at WTA 1000 events.
The top four seeds receive first-round byes, meaning they enter the competition in the second round. That structure can create an immediate challenge for lower-ranked players who must win their opening match before facing one of the highest seeds.
With Andreeva, Anisimova, Eala and Mertens among the headline names, the tournament has a mix of emerging talent and established experience.
Andreeva arrives with the profile of a Grand Slam champion. Anisimova has also demonstrated the ability to compete deep into major tournaments, while Eala represents one of the rising players attracting increasing attention on the WTA Tour.
Mertens, meanwhile, has the advantage of knowing what it takes to win in Singapore.
Krejcikova adds another major championship pedigree to the field, while Sakkari, Vekic and Wang Xinyu provide additional experience.
However, the player list is not necessarily final. The WTA notes that the field remains subject to change, and several players have already withdrawn or moved into the field as replacements.
Draw ceremony set for September 19
The official singles draw ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, at 5:30 p.m. Singapore time.
That corresponds to 5:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time and 10:30 a.m. British Summer Time, according to the WTA.
The draw will determine the first-round matchups and the potential routes through the tournament.
Because the top four seeds receive byes, their second-round opponents will emerge from the opening round. The draw therefore becomes particularly important for players hoping to make an extended run.
Singapore’s place in the 2026 Asian Swing
The Singapore Tennis Open 2026 is the first event of the WTA’s 2026 Asian Swing.
The broader schedule includes major tournaments in China, Japan, South Korea, India and Hong Kong. The WTA describes the Asian Swing as an important late-season period as players chase ranking points and positions in the Race to the WTA Finals.
Following Singapore, the Korea Open will also take place during the week of September 21-27.
The China Open follows from September 29 through October 11 and is a WTA 1000 tournament. Later events include Wuhan, Ningbo, Osaka, Tokyo, Guangzhou, Chennai and Hong Kong.
This gives the Singapore tournament a significant role in launching a busy stretch of the WTA calendar.
What makes the 2026 tournament different?
The most obvious change is the tournament’s elevation.
The Singapore event returned to the WTA calendar in 2025 as a 250-level tournament. That edition was played in late January. For 2026, the event has been moved into the Asian Swing and upgraded to the WTA 500 category.
The upgrade affects several aspects of the competition.
First, the field has greater depth. Second, the winner receives 500 ranking points rather than the 250 points associated with a WTA 250 tournament. Third, the prize pool is substantially larger, with $185,500 going to the singles champion.
The tournament is therefore entering a new phase after successfully returning to the WTA calendar.
Singapore Tennis Open 2026 at a glance
Here are the key details fans should remember:
Tournament: Singapore Tennis Open 2026
Level: WTA 500
Dates: September 21-27, 2026
Venue: OCBC Arena, Kallang, Singapore
Surface: Indoor hard court
Singles draw: 28 players
Doubles draw: 16 teams
Singles champion’s ranking points: 500
Singles champion’s prize money: $185,500
Total prize pool: Approximately $1,206,446
Top seed: Mirra Andreeva
Defending champion: Elise Mertens
Singles final: September 27, not before 5 p.m. local time
Doubles final: September 27, 2:30 p.m. local time
What to watch during the tournament
The biggest question entering the Singapore Tennis Open 2026 will be whether defending champion Mertens can retain her title against a significantly upgraded field.
Andreeva’s position as top seed puts immediate attention on her performance. Her status as a Roland Garros champion makes her one of the central figures of the tournament.
Anisimova and Eala also have opportunities to make their mark, while Krejcikova brings major-championship experience into a compact WTA 500 field.
For Mertens, the challenge is particularly interesting. She knows how to win at this venue, but defending a title is rarely straightforward, especially after the tournament has been upgraded and attracted a stronger group of competitors.
The answer will begin to emerge when main-draw action starts on September 21.
Final thoughts
The Singapore Tennis Open 2026 represents an important new chapter for a tournament that only returned to the WTA calendar last year.
Its progression from a WTA 250 event in 2025 to a WTA 500 tournament in 2026 has brought a larger prize pool, more ranking points and a field featuring Grand Slam champions and leading young players.
With Mirra Andreeva leading the draw and Elise Mertens returning as defending champion, the tournament has several compelling storylines before the first ball is struck.
The competition begins September 21 at the OCBC Arena, with the singles champion scheduled to be crowned on September 27.
As the WTA Tour enters the Asian Swing and the final stages of the 2026 season, Singapore will provide the opening stage for players looking to collect valuable points, prize money and momentum.
