The Middle Eastern swing begins with the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, which gets underway immediately after the conclusion of the Australian Open. The tournament, played on hard courts with a 28-player singles draw, will contest its fifth edition, after replacing the former St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
So far, the event has been one that has brought together an important part of the WTA’s top names every year. The defending champion is Belinda Bencic, who will join the draw in search of her third title, and she appears as one of the main favourites alongside the 2024 champion Elena Rybakina.
The draw will feature 10 players ranked inside the top 25, along with several other high-profile names from the Tour, in an event that will serve as preparation for the first WTA 1000 tournaments of the season, the Qatar Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Joining the draw will be world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 19-year-old teenager Victoria Mboko, and Denmark’s Clara Tauson, among the best-positioned players and seeded contenders at the tournament.
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There will also be several luxury names despite lower rankings: two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. Both Czech players are looking to add ranking points and regain confidence after physical problems that have prevented them from competing regularly, leaving them off the Tour for long periods during 2025 — and even into this year.
Also included among the standout names are 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, and former world No. 2 Paula Badosa.
Abu Dhabi will also feature a special comeback: Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen returns to competition — this time ranked just No. 26 — after a long absence from the courts. Since June 2025, following her elimination at Wimbledon, she managed to play only one tournament in the second half of the season, retiring due to injury in the second round of the China Open. This year, she was forced to skip the Australian Open and postpone her return, as she was not yet at 100% physically.
TV Guide Abu Dhabi Open
| Region | Territory | Channel |
| Australasia | Australia | Nine, Stan Sport |
| Australasia | New Zealand | Sky NZ |
| Americas | Anguilla, Antigua-and-Barbuda, Aruba, Bermuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts-and-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent-and-the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad-and-Tobago, Turks and Caicos | ESPN International |
| Americas | Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Francesca, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela, Uruguay | ESPN Latin America |
| Americas | Brazil | ESPN Latin America |
| Americas | Canada | TSN, RDS |
| Americas | USA | ESPN, Tennis Channel |
| Europe | Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican. | TNT Sports, Discovery+ |
| Europe | Switzerland | SRG SSR |
| Central Asia | Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. | Eurosport |
| Central Asia | Afghanistan | Sony Sports |
| Asia | China | GDTV, iQiYi, YouKu |
| Asia | India | Sony Sports |
| Asia | Japan | WOWOW |
| Asia | Taiwan | Sportcast |
| Africa | Algeria, Djibouti, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan | BelnSports |
| Africa | Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Republic of), Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo Eritrea, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Socotra, St. Helena and Ascension, Seychelles | SuperSport |
| Pacific Islands | Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna, Samoa, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Niue | Digicel |
| In-Flight & In-Ship | Global | Sport24 |
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!mandoist12-11-2026
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- I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
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- Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!mandoist09-11-2026
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- Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.mandoist08-11-2026
- Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??mandoist08-11-2026
