A Battered Field Heads to Beijing
The China Open, set to begin September 30 in Beijing, is already facing serious disruptions before the first ball is struck. A total of 12 players have withdrawn from the event, including five ranked inside the world's top 20. The Asian swing has a well-earned reputation for attrition, arriving late in the season just after the US Open wraps up, and 2026 is proving no exception to that trend.
Among the notable absentees, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula will sit out due to a back injury that also kept her away from the Singapore Open. Marta Kostyuk has been sidelined by a wrist problem, while Sorana Cirstea is managing a calf injury as she approaches the twilight of her career. Alex Eala, ranked No. 18 in the world, made the deliberate choice to represent the Philippines at the Asian Games rather than compete in Beijing. Additional withdrawals include Emma Raducanu, Karolina Pliskova, and McCartney Kessler, all of whom have been replaced in the draw by alternates.
Kostyuk's WTA Finals Hopes Now Under Pressure
Perhaps the withdrawal with the biggest ripple effect belongs to Kostyuk. Sitting in ninth place in the WTA Finals race, she currently sits more than 300 points behind Linda Noskova, who holds the final qualifying position. Noskova's Wimbledon title provides a significant ranking cushion, making it even harder for Kostyuk to close the gap. The Ukrainian player will likely need to compete at the Wuhan Open and perform strongly through the final stretch of the season to stay in contention.
With such a reshuffled draw, the China Open is wide open, and TennisDraw users will want to revisit their bracket picks before the tournament gets underway.
