WTA Schedule Update | Where are Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova playing during opening weeks of 2026 season
WTA
The 2026 season is upon us and between 2-11 and 12-17 January, the top stars for the vast majority will be involved in opening tournaments including Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova.
For the most part all are in action for the first two weeks of the year up to press but where will they be playing? Aryna Sabalenka the World Number One plays one tournament likely prior to the Australian Open.
Sabalenka plays during the first week of the year between 2-11 January at the Brisbane International. This will also be played by most of the top 32. Also in Brisbane will be Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova out of the top 10.
In addition, Clara Tauson, Linda Noskova, Liudmila Samsonova, Karolina Muchova, Diana Shnaider, Leylah Fernandez, Jelena Ostapenko as well as Paula Badosa, Marta Kostyuk, Dayana Yastremska, Sofia Kenin, Veronika Kudermetova and McCartney Kessler are part of the field. Only two of the top 32 will be playing outside of Australia in the first two weeks.
Most players involved in Adelaide
Elina Svitolina and Emma Navarro lead the line-up at the ASB Classic in Auckland and are the only top names who are there. While the United Cup will host nine out of the top 32.
The top names at the United Cup are Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff out of the top 10. Rybakina and Pegula have previously played United Cup in previous years but instead will be at the Brisbane International instead.
Jasmine Paolini also will be involved albeit she is a usual player in team tournaments for Italy and will be involved as well. While Belinda Bencic will play the United Cup also.
Naomi Osaka also decided to snub playing the ASB Classic last minute to play the United Cup. While Victoria Mboko will head up the Canadian team with Fernandez in Brisbane. Elise Mertens is the only player who takes a wholly different route in the form of playing United Cup and Hobart with the latter seeing her as the only top 32 player.
Emma Raducanu and Maya Joint are one of only 14 players who aren't playing second week and are just playing United Cup. Jessica Pegula is the leading light who will be playing in week two. Albeit only Paolini, Svitolina, Osaka, Muchova are the only ones up to World No.29 who aren't playing in Adelaide.
Mirra Andreeva, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Belinda Bencic, Clara Tauson, Linda Noskova are all set to play the event. While Zheng Qinwen has not signed up to anything at all. She continues to be a doubt for the new year after an aborted comeback attempt and isn't set to play until Melbourne as of right now. While none of the top fie will play post the first week.
Albeit Sabalenka plays Battle of the Sexes and Rybakina and Swiatek play the week prior at exhibitions in Shenzhen so they will play also the last week of 2025.
Who's playing where first two weeks in Australia and New Zealand
| Finals Rank | Player (Full Name) | Week 1 | Week 2 |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Brisbane | — |
| 2 | Iga Świątek | United Cup | — |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | United Cup | — |
| 4 | Amanda Anisimova | Brisbane | — |
| 5 | Elena Rybakina | Brisbane | — |
| 6 | Jessica Pegula | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 7 | Madison Keys | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 8 | Jasmine Paolini | United Cup | — |
| 9 | Mirra Andreeva | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 10 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 11 | Belinda Bencic | United Cup | Adelaide |
| 12 | Clara Tauson | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 13 | Linda Nosková | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 14 | Elina Svitolina | Auckland | — |
| 15 | Emma Navarro | Auckland | Adelaide |
| 16 | Naomi Osaka | United Cup | — |
| 17 | Liudmila Samsonova | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 18 | Victoria Mboko | United Cup | Adelaide |
| 19 | Karolína Muchová | Brisbane | — |
| 20 | Elise Mertens | United Cup | Hobart |
| 21 | Diana Shnaider | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 22 | Leylah Annie Fernandez | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 23 | Jelena Ostapenko | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 24 | Qinwen Zheng | — | — |
| 25 | Paula Badosa | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 26 | Marta Kostyuk | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 27 | Dayana Yastremska | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 28 | Sofia Kenin | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 29 | Emma Raducanu | United Cup | — |
| 30 | Veronika Kudermetova | Brisbane | — |
| 31 | McCartney Kessler | Brisbane | — |
| 32 | Maya Joint | United Cup | — |
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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