The China Open 2026 takes center stage as the second-to-last WTA 1000 event of the season, bringing a massive 96-player singles draw and a total prize pool of $9,415,725 to the Nationalen Tenniszentrum Peking from September 30 to October 11, 2026. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina leads a powerhouse field featuring top seeds Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula, all making their first tour appearances since the US Open.
Tournament Dates and Venue Schedule
Main-draw play at the Olympic Green Tennis Center in Beijing begins on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and wraps up with the finals on Sunday, October 11, 2026. For international fans tracking the action, matches run on China Standard Time (CST), with the singles final scheduled not before 7 p.m. local time, translating to 7 a.m. EST, 12 p.m. BST, and 1 p.m. CEST. Singles qualifying matches take place from September 28 to September 29, awarding 12 main-draw spots.
The rounds unfold across a packed fortnight:
- Singles First Round: September 30–October 1
- Singles Second Round: October 2–3
- Singles Third Round: October 4–5
- Singles Fourth Round: October 6–7
- Singles Quarterfinals: October 8–9
- Singles Semifinals: October 10
- Singles Final: October 11
Star-Studded Singles Draw and Past Champions
The tournament features a 96-player bracket where the top 32 seeds receive first-round byes, marking the final WTA 1000 event of the year with a field of that scale. All four US Open semifinalists return to tour play in Beijing. Rybakina anchors the top of the draw fresh off claiming her third Grand Slam title, joined by fellow top seeds Sabalenka, Gauff, and Pegula.
Gauff captured the Beijing crown in 2024 and headlines a group of former champions returning to the venue. That roster includes defending champion Amanda Anisimova, 2023 winner Iga Swiatek, and 2019 champion Naomi Osaka. Finalists from previous editions, including Linda Noskova (2025), Karolina Muchova (2024), and Liudmila Samsonova (2023), also feature in the initial entry lists. Meanwhile, notable absences include Madison Keys due to an abdominal injury, McCartney Kessler with a hip issue, Karolina Pliskova due to a back injury, alongside Emma Raducanu, Zhang Shuai, Alexandra Eala, Victoria Mboko, and Hailey Baptiste.
Prize Money and Ranking Points Breakdown
Players competing in Beijing chase 1000 WTA ranking points alongside a share of the $9,415,725 total prize purse. Singles and doubles champions take home 1000 points and the top financial rewards. In the singles competition, reaching the final awards 650 points, the semifinals yield 390 points, and quarterfinalists earn 215 points. Reaching the fourth round grants 120 points, the third round awards 65 points, the second round brings 35 points, and a first-round exit gives 10 points. Qualifiers who battle through the preliminary rounds secure 30 ranking points plus whatever they earn in the main draw.
Last season, Amanda Anisimova secured her second WTA 1000 title by defeating Linda Noskova 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 in a 1-hour and 46-minute final, joining Serena Williams and Coco Gauff as American women to hoist the Beijing singles trophy. In the doubles draw, the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini look to defend their crown after edging Miyu Kato and Fanny Stollar in the 2025 final.
What Comes Next
Qualifying matches open at the National Tennis Center on September 28, 2026, ahead of the official main-draw matches starting September 30. Fans can follow WTA Tennis for official schedule updates, order of play releases, and live scores as the race for the WTA 1000 trophy heats up in Beijing.
- Modern tennis increases upper extremity injuries on the ATP Tour
- Richard Gasquet Named to Team Rafa for Rafa Nadal Academy 10th Anniversary Slam
- Xi Jinping tells state dinner US and China share goals (newsarchyuk.com)
- CGS International Convenes China-ASEAN Summit to Boost Capital Flows (breakinglatest.news)
:focal(176x82:178x80)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2026/09/25/image-3ae92e52-97a0-4ad3-a85e-5bfc9d94386b-85-2560-1440.jpeg)