Fans hope to see bigger stars as Singapore Tennis Open upgrades to WTA 500 event
SINGAPORE – In a boost for fans and the local sports scene, bigger tennis names could be headed here in 2026, when the Singapore Tennis Open (STO) is upgraded to a WTA 500 tournament.The announcement was made by the Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), which operates the Singapore Sports Hub, on Oct 10.The Sept 21-27 event will be the first tennis tournament of this level here, and it will also be South-east Asia’s only WTA 500 event in 2026.WTA 500 competitions are the second-lowest tier of women’s tennis tournaments on the main WTA Tour, just one above the 250.The Grand Slams are the highest level, followed by the WTA Finals and the WTA 1000.Thefirst edition of the STO– which was a WTA 250 event – was held from Jan 27 to Feb 2, with a total of close to 22,000 fans catching the action live at the Kallang Tennis Hub.The 2025 tournament saw the likes of 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu and then world No. 18 Anna Kalinskaya, with Elise Mertens claiming the singles title.Tennis fans whom The Straits Times spoke to believe that the upgrade – which will see a larger prize money pool – will be beneficial to Singapore and they are excited to see bigger stars in town. Some remain hopeful for the return of men’s tennis events in the future.The Republic had previously hosted the now-defunct WTA Singapore Open from 1986 to 1990, one edition of the Singapore Classic in 1994, the WTA Finals from 2014 to 2018 and the men’s ATP Singapore Open in 2021.Finance lecturer Irwin Luo, 39, said: “The WTA 500 is a huge step forward as many of the biggest stars tend to skip WTA 250s and many fans will be attracted (to the upgraded tournament).“More critically, I believe this will be a huge stepping stone to proving Singapore’s credentials in hosting a top-tier tennis event…“But we currently lack a men’s tennis event here.”WTA chief executive Portia Archer said in a statement: “The inaugural Singapore Tennis Open in January received excellent feedback all around, a true testament to how successful the event was.“The WTA is excited to see it being staged in 2026 as a 500-level tournament, which I’m sure will attract many top players to compete in front of Singapore’s passionate fans.”The 2026 edition will move to the Sports Hub’s OCBC Arena and is one of 17 WTA 500 events on the calendar.“It is extremely gratifying that Singapore was not only chosen to host a prestigious WTA 500 tournament from 2026 to 2030, but will be the only country in South-east Asia to host a WTA 500 event next year,” said Quek Swee Kuan, chief executive officer of KASM.“This is testament to Singapore and the Singapore Sports Hub’s ability to successfully deliver international sporting offerings, bringing the world’s best athletes to the nation and the wider region.”The second edition of the Singapore Tennis Invitational Cup, organised by the Singapore Tennis Association (STA), will be held alongside the 2026 STO.The tournament features top teams from the region, andthe hosts will be looking to retain their title.STA president Jasmine Quek noted that the event “marks an exciting milestone for tennis in our country, reaffirming Singapore’s place as a premier destination for world-class sporting events”.“Building on the success of this year’s WTA 250 event at the Kallang Tennis Hub, we are excited to deliver an exceptional edition as part of a broader Festival of Tennis, bringing together the Singapore Tennis Open at the upgraded WTA 500 level with key developmental events including the Singapore Tennis Invitational Cup.”While the player line-up for STO 2026 will not be confirmed soon, WTA 500 events such as the Brisbane International and Korea Open – which offered prize money of US$1,520,600 (S$1.97 million) and US$1,064,510 – attracted top names like world No. 1 and 2 Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek in 2025.Tennis supporter Melody Foo said: “As a fan, I am excited to see more top players coming to Singapore to compete and to watch them play live.”
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