WTA Wuhan Open
The Wuhan Open starts on Monday 12 October 2026 at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, the last WTA 1000 of the season. The 56-player singles draw was made on 10 October, and 1,000 ranking points go to the champion. Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed after Elena Rybakina withdrew with a foot injury, ahead of Jessica Pegula. The defending champion, Coco Gauff, has also withdrawn, with fatigue. The draw was reshuffled on 12 October after Mirra Andreeva, Zheng Qinwen, who won the China Open on 11 October, and Linda Nosková withdrew.
Result, 18 October: Maja Chwalińska won the title, beating Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final for the first title of her career. She beat Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-1 in the semi-finals, and Kartal beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(9), 7-6(5). Our report on the final has the detail, and the analysis below was written when the draw was reshuffled on 12 October.
Key Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Dates | 12 to 18 October 2026 |
| Venue | Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, Wuhan |
| Surface | Outdoor hard |
| Category | WTA 1000 |
| Draw | 56 singles, 28 doubles |
| Prize money | $4,088,211 (champion $665,000) |
| Top seed | Aryna Sabalenka |
| Defending champion | Coco Gauff (withdrawn) |
The singles first round is played on 12 and 13 October, the second round on 14 October, the third round on 15 October, the quarter-finals on 16 October and the semi-finals on 17 October. The singles final is on 18 October and starts no earlier than 6.30pm local time, which is 11.30am in the UK.
Who Is Missing
The field has lost its defending champion and its leading seed. Rybakina withdrew with a foot injury and Gauff with fatigue. The third seed, Andreeva, withdrew after losing the China Open final, citing a change of schedule, and Zheng, the China Open champion, cited a right shoulder issue and tiredness. Nosková, the fourth seed, withdrew with a left calf injury. Amanda Anisimova (wrist), Naomi Osaka (a change of schedule), Madison Keys (an abdominal injury) and Karolína Plíšková (back) are also out, and Emma Navarro and Anastasia Potapova withdrew without a reason being given. Sabalenka is the only former champion in the draw.
The Sabalenka Record
Aryna Sabalenka has a claim on this tournament that no one else can match. She won it in 2018, in 2019, and again in 2024, three consecutive editions, because the event was absent from the calendar between 2020 and 2023. Counting from her debut she went 20 matches unbeaten in Wuhan, a run that only ended when Jessica Pegula beat her in the 2025 semi-finals. Pegula then lost the final to Gauff 6-4, 7-5.
The Draw, Quarter by Quarter
The top eight seeds have first-round byes. After the withdrawals they are Sabalenka, Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Karolína Muchová, Iga Świątek, Marta Kostyuk, Belinda Bencic (9), who takes Nosková’s place, and Iva Jović (10), who takes Andreeva’s.
First quarter: Sabalenka and Świątek
Sabalenka (1) plays the winner of Ann Li against the lucky loser Camila Osorio in the second round, in the slot Zheng left. Sabalenka lost 6-4, 6-3 to the No. 26 seed Nikola Bartůňková in the Beijing third round. Elise Mertens (14), who reached the Beijing semi-finals, opens against Daria Snigur and meets Janice Tjen, who beat the qualifier Aoi Ito 6-3, 6-1, in the second round, so she is the seeded opponent in Sabalenka’s third round. Świątek (7) meets the winner of the qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew against the lucky loser Magdalena Frech in the second round. Świątek lost 7-6(0), 6-3 to Mertens in the Beijing quarter-finals. On seeding, Sabalenka plays Świątek in the quarter-finals, and our Świątek v Sabalenka head-to-head has the record.
Second quarter: Jović and Kostyuk
Andreeva’s exit has opened this quarter. Jović (10) has a bye and plays the winner of the wildcard Dayana Yastremska against Cristina Bucsa, with Maja Chwalińska (16) and Marie Bouzková in her third-round path. Bouzková beat Clara Tauson 6-1, 2-0 on Monday when Tauson retired. Kostyuk (8) meets Maria Sakkari or Donna Vekić, and the wildcard Mia Pohánková, who beat the lucky loser Anna Bondar 6-1, 6-3, is in her third-round path. Jović and Kostyuk are seeded to meet in the quarter-finals, and the Kostyuk v Andreeva head-to-head is on the site.
Third quarter: Svitolina and Bencic
Svitolina (5), beaten by Zheng in the Beijing quarter-finals, plays Katerina Siniakova or Liudmila Samsonova in the second round and has Sorana Cîrstea (12) seeded in the third. Bencic (9) plays Sonay Kartal, who beat Anhelina Kalinina 7-5, 6-3, in the second round, and is seeded to meet Jasmine Paolini (15) in the third. Bartůňková, who beat Sabalenka and Muchová on the way to the Beijing semi-finals, opens against Lilli Tagger, and the winner meets Paolini or Sara Bejlek.
Fourth quarter: Muchová and Pegula
Muchová (6) lost 6-3, 6-0 to Bartůňková in the Beijing quarter-finals. She plays Yuliia Starodubtseva or the qualifier Caty McNally in the second round, with Diana Shnaider (11) seeded in her third round, although Shnaider opens against Katie Boulter. Pegula (2), the 2025 runner-up, plays Jelena Ostapenko or the qualifier Daria Kasatkina in the second round, and Alex Eala (13) is seeded in her third. Eala, the world No. 18, opens against the qualifier Han Shi and then meets Leylah Fernandez, who beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Monday. Pegula and Muchová are seeded to meet in the quarter-finals.
Prize Money and Points
The 2026 pool is $4,088,211, up from $3,654,963 in 2025. The singles champion receives $665,000 and 1,000 ranking points, and the runner-up $385,001 and 650 points. The prize money page has every round.
Why It Matters
Wuhan sits late enough in the season to shape the year-end picture, with 1,000 points on offer at a point when the qualification races are tightening. For players outside the top eight it is one of the last realistic chances to make up ground.
How to Watch in the UK
Sky Sports Tennis carries WTA 1000 events in the UK, with streaming through NOW, and Bet365 streams to eligible account holders. The time difference is the catch: Wuhan is seven hours ahead of the UK, so play generally starts in the small hours and the late matches land in the UK morning. Our full how to watch tennis guide has the detail.
FAQ
Wuhan Open 2026 FAQs
When is the Wuhan Open 2026?
The main draw runs from 12 to 18 October 2026 at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre in Wuhan. The singles final is on 18 October.
Who is the top seed?
Aryna Sabalenka, ahead of Jessica Pegula. Elena Rybakina withdrew with a foot injury, and the third seed, Mirra Andreeva, has also withdrawn.
Is Mirra Andreeva playing in Wuhan?
No. Andreeva withdrew after losing the China Open final to Zheng Qinwen, citing a change of schedule. Zheng, the champion, and Linda Nosková have also withdrawn.
Who is the defending champion?
Coco Gauff, who beat Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the 2025 final. She has withdrawn from the 2026 event with fatigue.
What do the winner and runner-up get?
The champion receives $665,000 and 1,000 ranking points, and the runner-up $385,001 and 650 points.
How can I watch the Wuhan Open in the UK?
Sky Sports Tennis carries WTA 1000 events with streaming via NOW, and Bet365 streams to eligible account holders. Wuhan is seven hours ahead of the UK. 18+, please gamble responsibly.
More Coverage
See our Wuhan Open betting tips for the outright markets, the prize money breakdown, the list of past champions and the UK viewing guide. Full coverage sits on our Wuhan Open hub, every event we follow is in the tournaments index, and the dates are in the 2026 tennis calendar.