China Open 2026: Preview, schedule, draw, player list & how to watch
• 3 minute read
With the final Grand Slam event of the season wrapped up, the WTA Tour has moved on to Asia for the penultimate WTA 1000 tournament of the year in Beijing. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming China Open.
China Open schedule
This year’s WTA main draw singles action will get underway on Wednesday 30 September, with the doubles event kicking off two days later.
The singles and doubles final will take place on Sunday 11 October.
Meanwhile, the men's ATP 500 event will run for one week between 30 September - 6 October.
Where is the China Open taking place?
The hard court WTA 1000 tournament will be staged at the China National Tennis Centre in Beijing.
The facilities were originally constructed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has been a key venue for international tennis events ever since. The complex boasts 12 outdoor courts, six indoor courts and a main show court arena which has the capacity to welcome 10,000 fans.
The state-of-the-art venue makes for a world-class location for both fans and players, with the world’s best players returning annually to take part in both the WTA 1000 and ATP 500 tournaments.
Who are the reigning China Open champions?
- Women’s singles - Amanda Anisimova (USA)
- Women’s doubles - Sara Errani (ITA) & Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
- Men's singles - Jannik Sinner (ITA)
- Men's doubles - Henry Patten (GBR) & Harri Heliovaara (FIN)
When is the China Open draw?
The full first round draws for the British tennis players competing at the 2026 China Open will be available soon.
View the full draw below:
Who are the top seeds at the China Open 2026?
WTA (1000)
- Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Jessica Pegula (USA)
- Coco Gauff (USA)
- Mirra Andreeva
ATP (500)
- Jannik Sinner (ITA)
- Alexander Zverev (GER)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
- Daniil Medvedev
- Flavio Cobolli (ITA)
Which British players are competing at the China Open 2026?
British No.1 Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal have main draw entry into the WTA 1000 China Open this year.
Boulter has picked up opening round wins in her last two events at the Cincinnati Open and US Open, but will be aiming to improve on her career-best third round run in Beijing back in 2024.
Boulter comes into the tournament off the back of competing at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, where she tested reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the Brits’ quarter-final clash against Czechia. While she fell short against Noskova, Boulter will take plenty of confidence from that performance heading into the China Open.
Kartal will use her protected ranking to play in the upcoming China Open. The 24-year-old has just returned from a long-term back injury and put in an impressive performance against world No.26 Marie Bouzkova at the Billie Jean King Cup in her first match back
The 2025 China Open saw the Brighton-born star enjoy her WTA 1000 breakthrough - defeating the likes of Alycia Parks, Daria Kasatkina, Maya Joint and fourth seed Mirra Andreeva before bowing out in the quarter-finals to Noskova.
Fellow Billie Jean King Cup teammates Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage are both in women’s singles qualifying for the China Open.
The men’s event will see Cam Norrie compete as the only British player in main draw singles action in the ATP 500. The British No.2 is looking to bounce back after withdrawing from the Davis Cup with an injury.
Arthur Fery is playing in the ATP 500 in Tokyo this week alongside players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.
Past British performances at the China Open
There have been no past British champions in the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing.
Former world No.4 Johanna Konta reached the women’s singles final in 2016. Konta beat Karolina Pliskova and Madison Keys en-route to the final, but eventually finished runner-up to third seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-2.
In the men’s event, Greg Rusedski won the title when it was previously an ATP 250 event in 1996 after beating Martin Damm of Czechia in the final.
Andy Murray won the ATP 500 tournament in 2016 during the best season of his career. Murray beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6(2) to claim his only career title in Beijing.
Ross Hutchins lifted the men’s doubles title in 2008 (ATP 250) with Australian Stephen Huss, and Henry Patten claimed the trophy in 2025 with partner Harri Heliovaara.
What is the prize money for the China Open 2026?
The prize money for the women’s WTA 1000 tournament at the China Open is a total commitment of $9,415,725.
In the men’s ATP 500, the total prize money commitment is $4,089,385.
How to watch the China Open 2026?
You can watch live coverage of all the action at the China Open exclusively on Sky Sports Tennis and Now TV.
