WTA Hobart International Prize Money Explained: How much can Raducanu, Jovic and Williams earn

The 2026 tennis season is in full flow, with the next tournament on the minds of many players being the Hobart International from 12-17 January 2026 on the Island of Tasmania. It has many talented players who will be challenging for the awards on the line.

Two-time champion Elise Mertens goes into it as the number one seed, and with a glorious past in this event is hugely touted to challenge for another title. She previously won the title back in 2017 and 2018. More recently, she has got to back-to-back finals but been unable to add any other titles to her collection, with defeats to Americans Emma Navarro and McCartney Kessler.

The reigning champion is also set to make the trip south of Australia. The third seed will be hopeful of repeating her success from 2025, looking to get back to her best and continue USA's dominant streak in this event, winning four of the prior five.

Emma Raducanu will go into the tournament as one of the favourites. She still has only one WTA title, which was the historic US Open run back in 2021. Since then, she has struggled to be a main stay at the top of tennis. A consistent 2025 has launched her back in the top 32 with the Australian Open coming up, but she would love to travel to Melbourne with some positive momentum.

18-year-old Iva Jovic is already making huge strides in the sport, cementing herself as a real threat for the title. This is also the case for Eva Lys, who finished 2025 strong and is in good shape after competing for Germany in the United Cup. Ann Li, Jessica Bouzes Maneiro and Tatjana Maria are the other seeds in the competition. Two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova will be hoping to continue her rise back up the rankings after an injury stricken 2025.

The Czech tennis player is not the only former Grand Slam champion to be present in Hobart, with seven-time major winner Venus Williams looking to roll back the years as she continues her comeback ahead of a hugely intriguing return to the Australian Open. She opened her account in the ASB Classic with a three-set defeat to fifth seed Magda Linette. The Pole will also be featuring in the Hobart International.

A deep run in the tournament will be rewarded with financial and ranking bonuses and is a real incentive for the players to bring their A-game. The champion will claim $37,390, a slight increase from last year's $36,300 which Kessler clinched. They will also add 250 points to their ranking tally.

The runner-up will earn $22,125 and 163 ranking points, with the two defeated semi-finalists collecting $12,331 and 98 ranking points. A quarter-final exit will get you $7,025 and 54 ranking points, round two defeat brings $4,285 and 30 ranking points, while a defeat at the first hurdle will get $3,065 and just one ranking point.