Current US Open champion Emma Raducanu, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens and Australian Open semifinalist Madison Keys have all entered the Abierto Zapopan, Guadalajara and Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey WTA 250 hard-court tournaments this month.
The Abierto Zapopan will be held between Feb. 21 and Feb. 27, and will be followed by the Abierto GNP Seguros between Feb. 28 and Mar. 6. Raducanu, who became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam in New York last year, will be playing just her 10th tour-level event. The 19-year-old Briton has already faced Stephens this year, defeating the American 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 in the first round of the Australian Open.
Former World No.7 Keys has enjoyed a resurgence in 2022 so far, returning to the Top 30 after winning her first title since 2019 at the Adelaide 250 and backing it up with a fifth major semifinal showing at the Australian Open.
Also scheduled to compete in both events are defending Guadalajara champion Sara Sorribes Tormo, rising Colombian 20-year-old Camila Osorio and Chinese teenage talent Zheng Qinwen. Osorio rocketed into the Top 100 last year after winning her maiden title on home soil in Bogota; Zheng, 19, is the newest Top 100 debutante after reaching her first WTA semifinal last month at Melbourne Summer Set 1.
Four former Monterrey titlists will join the second week of the Mexican swing. Four-time champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is the most prolific winner in the tournament's history, having lifted the trophy in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017, while defending champion Leylah Fernandez scored her first WTA title there in 2021. Both players reached their first Grand Slam finals last year, Pavlyuchenkova at Roland Garros and Fernandez at the US Open.
Additionally, 2020 champion Elina Svitolina will return to Monterrey this year, while 2016 winner Heather Watson has entered qualifying.
Guadalajara was a new stop on the main WTA Tour in 2021. The city previously hosted a WTA 125 event in 2019. As well as the 250 tournament, Guadalajara also hosted the Akron WTA Finals in November. Monterrey has been a fixture on the calendar since 2009, with other previous winners including Garbiñe Muguruza, Marion Bartoli and Ana Ivanovic.
