Emma Navarro, Paula Badosa, Marie Bouzkova, Emiliana Arango, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Zeynep Sonmez and Renata Zarazúa stand out among the players confirmed so far for the fourth edition of the Mérida Open Tennis, an edition that will seek to surpass the figures achieved last year as part of the consolidation of the event.
The Turkish Sonmez is the most recent addition to the contest, which will take place from February 23 to March 1, and will feature representatives from 30 countries.
In 2025, the Mérida Open reached television coverage of more than 2,100 hours of transmission, in 158 nations and exceeded 10.3 million viewers.
Navarro and Arango arrive with very high standards for the 2026 edition, as monarch and runner-up, respectively, in an event that distributes a purse of one million, 200 thousand dollars in prizes.
The one in Mérida was the first WTA 500 title for Emma and the second in her career (Hobart, 2024). This year she reached the quarterfinals in seven more tournaments, including her third consecutive top-eight finish at a Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
Also notable on the list with a wild card is the Mexican Renata Zarazúa, who with her participation in the Australian Open became the fourth Mexican to play at least 10 Grand Slam tournaments, an achievement that places her alongside Yolanda Ramírez, Rosie Reyes and Angélica Gavaldón.
The Spanish Paula Badosa also confirmed her attendance, after saying goodbye to the competition last year in a surprising way in the quarterfinals, due to a back injury.
“After three editions, I can only feel very proud to see the growth that the tournament has had, the steps it has taken are gigantic in a very short time, but that at the same time implies a greater challenge and I know that with the team that we will have in this edition we will meet the expectations of our public,” expressed Gustavo Santoscoy Arriaga, president of GS Sports Management, at the presentation of the contest, at the Yucatán Country Club.
As for Sonmez, she surprised by winning the trophy in the second edition of the Yucatecan tournament, while last season she made history for her country at Wimbledon, by becoming the first Turk to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in the open era.
As part of the entertainment, the musical group Bacilos will entertain attendees with a concert at the end of the day on February 26.
“Mérida and the facilities of the Yucatán Country Club are dreamlike, the players are in love with this wonderful place, the treatment and the fans, we always try to offer a unique experience,” said Gustavo Santoscoy García, tournament director and CEO of GS Sports Management.
“The difference that Mérida has as a venue is that the players feel at home, they can have fun, be happy, bring their families, the experience they have is unique and very special, it is one of the most important events on the tour, with spectacular weather, facilities, fans and their warmth, it is far above the 500 tournaments,” he added.
According to the manager, the final list of players who will see action will be announced on the 27th of this month.
