Merida Open Akron 2026: Schedule, Entry List, Draw and Predictions
WTAWednesday, 18 February 2026 at 12:10
The Merida Open Akron will take place between 23 February - 1 March at the Yucatan Country Club in Merida in Mexico and is a WTA 500 tournament on the calendar.
Emma Navarro is the defending champion and will return this year in a bid to try and retain her title. She is joined by Diana Shnaider, Ann Li, Marie Bouzkova, Jaqueline Cristian, Katie Boulter, Sloane Stephens among others.
It takes place on the same week as ATX Open Austin and is one of the final tournaments prior to Indian Wells and Miami.
Entry List Merida Open Akron
(as of TennisForum)
| Pos | Player | Rank |
| 1​ | EMMA NAVARRO (USA) | 15​ |
| 3​ | DIANA SHNAIDER | 22​ |
| 4​ | PAULA BADOSA (ESP) | 26​ |
| 5​ | JAQUELINE CRISTIAN (ROU) | 35​ |
| 6​ | ANN LI (USA) | 38​ |
| 7​ | JESSICA BOUZAS MANEIRO (ESP) | 40​ |
| 8​ | TATJANA MARIA (GER) | 42​ |
| 10​ | MARIE BOUZKOVA (CZE) | 44​ |
| 11​ | MAGDA LINETTE (POL) | 50​ |
| 12​ | EMILIANA ARANGO (COL) | 51​ |
| 13​ | CRISTINA BUCSA (ESP) | 52​ |
| 15​ | ANASTASIA POTAPOVA (AUT) | 55​ |
| 16​ | ELISABETTA COCCIARETTO (ITA) | 56​ |
| 17​ | BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA(BRA) | 61​ |
| 18 | Janice Tjen (IND) | |
| 19 | Donna Vekic (CRO) | |
| WC | Katie Boulter (GBR) | |
| WC | Sloane Stephens (GBR) |
When is the draw confirmed for Merida Open Akron
The draw will be confirmed for the tournament likely on Friday 20 February onwards.
When is the schedule confirmed for Merida Open Akron
The schedule will likely be confirmed on Sunday February 22 with the tournament starting on February 23.
Predictions Merida Open Akron
Samuel Gill, Head Editor for TennisUpToDate sees one of a few names sealing the title in Merida.
I see Emma Navarro as a potential champion in Merida given her form last year and often Mexican events are an outlier. For instance Navarro didn't do too much last year but still won this while Maria Sakkari in the past has been superb in these events.
Sakkari though has withdrawn from the tournament. I see Katie Boulter as being a forerunner after a great past few weeks.
While Diana Shnaider can also be seen as up there after some good form at the start of the season. But it is a pretty hard WTA 500 to guess as there aren't many huge names involved and those who were bigger have withdrawn.
*** Emma Navarro
** Katie Boulter
* Diana Shnaider
Cristhian Avila, Editor for TennisUpToDate.com sees Emma Navarro defending the title.
A draw without many of the big stars opens up a possibility for lower-ranked names to go deep. I place among the contenders defending champion Emma Navarro.
It could be a good chance for names like Paula Badosa and Daria Kasatkina, who despite having dropped in the rankings still retain their status as important names on the Tour. Against less experienced players at the top level, they will have a slight advantage – especially if they manage to advance through a few rounds and find good physical condition during the week.
*** Emma Navarro
** Paula Badosa
• Diana Shnaider, Jaqueline Cristian
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