The China Open gets underway on September 30, and it is an important event that could help shape the year-end rankings. The problem is that many players fans might want to watch have already said they can't be there.
That includes Alex Eala, but she has a good reason for skipping the tournament in Beijing: She will be playing in the Asian Games, which run concurrent to the China Open. Eala isn't worried about the ranking points that she might earn in China, but would rather represent her native Philippines at the Games.
Eala isn't the only player not involved in the WTA event, though. Victoria Mboko, who injured her left knee over the summer, is still trying to work her way back to play. She isn't yet fit enough to try out her rehabilitated knee. Hopefully, she can play an entire 2027, as she should definitely be a player who can rise in the WTA rankings.
WTA 1000 China Open withdrawal list continues to grow before the event begins
Madison Keys also won't be in China. She likely needs time to mentally recover from suffering a brutal loss at the US Open when Zheng Qinwen came back from 0-5 in the third set of their third-round match to move forward. Keys said after the match that he had been struggling with different issues for some time.
Emma Raducanu's absence is not a surprise at the China Open, either. She has had a stress fracture in her right leg, and the injury forced her to miss Wimbledon and the US Open. She has no timeline for returning to tennis.
China Open withdrawal list:
- Victoria Mboko (No. 14)
- Alex Eala (No. 18)
- Madison Keys (No. 22)
- Hailey Baptiste (No. 37)
- Karolina Pliskova (No. 46)
- Shuai Zhang (No. 55)
- Jacqueline Cristian (No. 56)
- McCartney Kessler (No. 73)
- Emma Raducanu (No. 97)
The positive news is that many high-ranking players will participate. That includes the new No. 1, Elena Rybakina, and No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka. A little over 2,000 points is the difference in the rankings, and Sabalenka could be under pressure to keep her ranking as high as it is.
That said, she only has points to gain in Beijing, as she didn't play in the event in 2025. Without points to defend, she could gain 1,000 back. Rybakina did play at the China Open in 2025, but she lost in the third round.
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