Singapore 411: Dates, draws, schedule, prize money and more

With the US Open in the rearview, the 2026 WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz season hits the home stretch as the Asian Swing gets underway. First up is the Singapore Tennis Open, which returned to the calendar last year after a 21-year hiatus.

A 250-level event held in late January last year, it has since been elevated to a WTA 500 -- with a field to match. Grand Slam champions, finalists and the defending Singapore champ headline a draw that underscores the tournament's upgraded stature.

Here's everything you need to know about next week's tournament in Singapore. 

What are the dates for each round?

Main-draw play at the OCBC Arena begins Monday, Sept. 21, with singles qualifying held over the weekend. The tournament concludes Sunday, Sept. 27, with the singles final -- not before 5 p.m. local time -- preceded by the doubles final at 2:30 p.m.

Kallang, Singapore operates on Singapore Standard Time, which is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time, seven hours ahead of British Summer Time and six hours ahead of Central European Summer Time.

Here are the scheduled dates for each draw:

Singles

First Round: September 21-22

Second Round: September 23-24

Quarterfinals: September 25

Semifinals: September 26

Final: September 27

Doubles

First Round: September 21-22

Quarterfinals: September 23-24

Semifinals: September 25-26

Final: September 27

How big is the draw, and who are the top players in the field?

Singapore features a 28-player singles draw, with the top four seeds receiving byes into the second round. The field includes 20 direct entrants, four wild cards and four qualifiers.

The draw ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. EDT, 10:30 a.m. BST).

Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva enters as the top seed, and she's joined by fellow Top 20 players Amanda Anisimova, Alexandra Eala and Elise Mertens. Mertens arrives as the defending champion after defeating Ann Li 6-1, 6-4 in last year's final.

Roland Garros runner-up Maja Chwalinska and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krejcikova also bolster the field.

Direct entrants: Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Alexandra Eala, Maja Chwalinska, Elise Mertens, Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari, Janice Tjen, Donna Vekic, Wang Xinyu, Oleksandra Oliynykova

Withdrawals: Jessica Pegula, Diana Shnaider, Sorana Cirstea, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Anastasia Potapova, Sara Bejlek, Ann Li, Clara Tauson, Mayar Sherif

Moved in: Daria Kasatkina, Talia Gibson, Alycia Parks, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Sofia Costoulas, Tatiana Prozorova, Linda Fruhvirtova, Kristina Mladenovic

The player list is subject to change.

Who are the defending champions?

Mertens was the No. 2 seed last year. She defeated Taylor Townsend, Tatjana Maria, No. 6 seed Camila Osorio and No. 4 seed Wang Xinyu before beating Li in straight sets in the final.

She became the first woman to lift the trophy at the event since Naoko Sawamatsu in 1994, earning the ninth of her now-10 WTA singles titles and her first since Tunisia in 2023.

"It became really tight at the end," Mertens said afterward. "It was a bit nerve-wracking. I had a good start, and I felt [Li] was building up pretty well, so I'm very pleased that I could finish that."

In doubles, Desirae Krawczyk and Giuliana Olmos defeated Wang Xinyu and Zheng Saisai 7-5, 6-0 to win their first title together since 2020.

What are the ranking points and prize money at stake?

The tournament will have a prize pool of approximately $1,206,446 USD. As with all WTA 500 events, the champion will receive 500 ranking points.

Here's the singles breakdown:

Ranking points and prize money breakdown (singles):

First Round: 1 | $13,005

Second Round: 60 | $18,045

Quarterfinals: 108 | $35,000

Semifinals: 195 | $66,003

Finalist: 325 | $114,500

Champion: 500 | $185,500

Qualifying for the main draw earns 25 ranking points.

The doubles champions will receive $61,540 and 500 ranking points, with the finalists earning $37,400 and 325 points.