The Hong Kong, China Tennis Association today announced the participation of Jasmine Paolini, Sorana Cirstea, and Maria Sakkari at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open (“PHKTO”) 2026, adding further fire power to the already star-studded field.
PHKTO 2026, with a total prize purse of more than USD280,000, will be held at the iconic Victoria Park Centre Courts from 31 October to 8 November 2026.
Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open is proud of being an “M” Mark event that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. The “M” Mark is awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolising intense, spectacular and signature events in the territory sports calendar.
Making her debut at the final WTA regular tour event in Hong Kong, Paolini is a two-time Grand Slam finalist and former world No. 4. A self-declared late boomer, the Italian broke into the world’s top 50 in June 2023 at the age of 27, and the top 10 a year later.
In addition to runner-up finishes at the 2024 Australian Open and Wimbledon, she won the singles at WTA1000 tournaments in Dubai and Rome, and the women’s doubles with Sara Errani at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, cementing her as one of the players of the season.
Paolini said: “I am delighted to be making my debut at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. I heard the tournament has won WTA250 Tournament of the Year award many times so I am looking forward to checking it out for myself. Hong Kong is well-known for its vibrant city life, rich culture and great hospitality, so I am excited to be finishing my 2026 season there.”
A late bloomer like Paolini, Cirstea made her top 20 debut in May 2026 at the age of 36, becoming the oldest woman in WTA ranking history to achieve this feat. After a promising junior career, the Romanian turned professional in 2006 and reached the quarter-finals of the French Open and third round of Wimbledon three years later. Over her two-decade long career, Cirstea captured three WTA Tour singles titles, reached the final of the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in 2013, and secured the second Grand Slam quarter-final spot in her career at the 2023 US Open.
The 2026 season saw a renaissance for Cirstea, who has competed this year with a liberated mindset, unlocking the most consistent and historically successful tennis of her entire career. She achieved a lifelong dream by winning a title on home soil at the Transylvania Open, and reached the semi-finals at the WTA1000 Italian Open by defeating the then world number one, Aryna Sabalenka. After a quarter-final finish at the French Open, her third in Grand Slam singles play, and last-16 at the US Open, she climbed to a new career-high ranking of number 15, making her the oldest player to ever debut in the singles top 15.
Cirstea, a quarter-finalist on her debut at PHKTO last year, commented: “I enjoyed my time in Hong Kong very much last year, and there was no doubt in my mind that I would be returning. What a season I have had since then, and I hope to compete well in Hong Kong, and to finish the year on a high note as I continue to scale new heights in my career.”
Sakkari is also competing at PHKTO for the second time, having last played a decade ago. The Greek number one has two tour singles titles to her name, including the WTA1000 Guadalajara Open, and was a semi-finalist at both the French Open and US Open in 2021. Having maintained a top 10 presence in the rankings for several seasons, peaking at No. 3, the Athens born athlete now sits at No. 33.
Sakkri said: “It has been 10 years since I last competed at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. I know the event always attracts the best players in the world and seeing the field this year, I expect many high-quality matches so I am looking forward to competing well in my last tournament of the season.”
PHKTO is one of the tournaments of the China Tennis Season, and a three-time winner of the WTA 250 Tournament of the Year Award – in 2018, 2024, and 2025.
Trailblazer and world number 18 Alexandra Eala, Chinese superstar Wang Xinyu, PHKTO 2024 singles champion Diana Shnaider, and former world number two Paula Badosa have already confirmed their participation at the event.
Tickets are available via Ticketflap with prices ranging from HK$180 to HK$1,070. A 50% discount is available on Cat 2 tickets for persons aged 18 or below, full-time students, and seniors aged 60 or above.
For the latest tournament updates, please visit the tournament website at https://www.hktennisopen.hk/en/