Summary
✓Reviewed by Laura Bennett The Singapore Tennis Open will be staged as a WTA 500 event for the first time when its second edition runs from September 21 to 27, 2026, at the OCBC Arena, marking an upgrade from the...
Table of contents
The Singapore Tennis Open will be staged as a WTA 500 event for the first time when its second edition runs from September 21 to 27, 2026, at the OCBC Arena, marking an upgrade from the tournament’s WTA 250 status in its 2025 debut, according to the official WTA tournament page.
The elevated status makes Singapore Tennis Open the only WTA 500-level event in Southeast Asia and positions it as the opening stop of the WTA’s Asian Swing, with qualifying rounds scheduled for September 19-20 ahead of the main draw.
Direct Answer: What Is Happening and Why It Matters
The Singapore Tennis Open, held at the OCBC Arena in Kallang, has moved up from WTA 250 to WTA 500 for its 2026 edition, a jump that brings a deeper 28-player singles draw, a 16-team doubles field, and a prize pool of approximately US$1.2 million, according to the official WTA event listing, which puts the exact commitment at US$1,206,446. The tournament runs September 21-27, 2026, with free-admission qualifying on September 19-20, and the WTA’s official entry list confirms world No. 3 Jessica Pegula as the top direct entrant based on the August 24 cutoff ranking date.
Tournament Details at a Glance
| Detail | 2026 Edition |
|---|---|
| Status | WTA 500 (upgraded from WTA 250 in 2025) |
| Dates | September 21-27, 2026 |
| Qualifying | September 19-20, 2026 (free admission) |
| Venue | OCBC Arena, The Kallang |
| Surface | Hard court |
| Prize money | Approximately US$1.2 million (US$1,206,446 listed) |
| Singles draw | 28 players |
| Doubles draw | 16 teams |
How we know: figures are drawn from the official WTA Singapore Tennis Open tournament page and venue promotional materials for the event, current as of September 15, 2026.
Who Is in the Field
The WTA’s official entry list for the 28-player singles draw comprises 19 direct entrants, four wild cards, four qualifiers, and one special exemption. Jessica Pegula sits atop the direct-entry list based on the August 24 ranking cutoff, with the roster also including Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Diana Shnaider, Sorana Cirstea, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Maja Chwalinska, Elise Mertens, Donna Vekic, and Oleksandra Oliynykova, according to the WTA entry list.
Singapore’s own Alexandra Eala is also named among the direct entrants, giving the tournament a home favorite for local fans following the event at the OCBC Arena. Eala’s continued rise on tour has been a storyline through the 2026 season, alongside deep runs from other rising players such as Frances Tiafoe-style breakthroughs seen earlier this year at Flushing Meadows.
From WTA 250 to WTA 500: What the Upgrade Means
The jump from WTA 250 to WTA 500 status is the most significant change to the tournament since its 2025 debut. A WTA 500 designation carries more ranking points than a 250-level event, which typically draws stronger fields as higher-ranked players chase points and prize money. The official WTA tournament page and venue promotion both confirm the new classification for 2026, alongside the switch to the larger-capacity OCBC Arena to accommodate the higher-tier event.
Venue and event promotion has also framed the tournament as the kickoff to the WTA’s Asian Swing, a stretch of the calendar that historically sends top players through Asia in the weeks following the US Open. That framing lines up with recent results on tour, including Elena Rybakina’s three-set win over Aryna Sabalenka in the 2026 US Open women’s final, a result that reshuffled early-season form heading into the Asian hard-court swing.
Tickets and Schedule
Venue promotion for the tournament lists match sessions at 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM, and 6:30 PM across the competition week. Reported ticket pricing includes single-session tickets starting from S$8, single-session hospitality packages from S$500, and all-access passes from S$650, according to coverage of the event’s ticket offering.
Key facts confirmed so far:
- Main draw runs September 21-27, 2026, at OCBC Arena.
- Qualifying is free admission on September 19-20, 2026.
- Tournament is now WTA 500, up from WTA 250 in its 2025 debut.
- Prize pool is listed at approximately US$1.2 million.
- 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw.
- Jessica Pegula leads the direct-entry list; Alexandra Eala is the notable home entrant.
What Happens Next
Qualifying begins September 19, with the main singles and doubles draws opening September 21 and running through the final on September 27. As the first confirmed WTA 500 stop of the Asian hard-court swing, the tournament’s completed draw and seeding announcements are expected in the days immediately before qualifying, and organizers have not yet released the full order of play. Fans following the broader tennis calendar can also track how this event fits alongside other 2026 storylines, including the season’s Grand Slam results such as the Zverev-Shelton US Open final earlier this month.
Limitations: This report reflects the official entry list and event details published ahead of the tournament; player withdrawals, wild-card changes, or schedule adjustments can occur before and during the event and were not reflected in the sources available at the time of writing.
Sources
- Singapore Tennis Open Returns as Southeast Asia’s — thekallang.com.sg
- Fans hope to see bigger stars as Singapore Tennis Open … — straitstimes.com
- 2026 Singapore Tennis Open — en.wikipedia.org
- Singapore Tennis Open presented by BNP Paribas — wtatennis.com
- From WTA 250 to 500: Singapore’s tennis tournament rises … — thesoutheastasiadesk.com
