With all four Grand Slam events for 2025 done and dusted, all eyes are slowly turning towards the Asian Swing — one of the most intriguing and crucial parts of the season.
The biggest WTA stars will be in action at the WTA 1000 China Open and Wuhan Open later in the swing, but some players are choosing to kick off their swing a little earlier at the Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul.
The event in the Korean capital was upgraded to WTA 500 status in 2024, with Beatriz Haddad Maia defeating Daria Kasatkina in the final, and remains a 500-level event for 2025, with action underway next week.
Here, we look at all you need to know in the run-up to the tournament.
Who are the biggest names in action?
Undeniably, the biggest star in action will be world No 2 and six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who is set to return in Seoul after her quarter-final exit at the US Open.
The Pole is set to be the top seed at the WTA 500 event, with new world No 4 and US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova — the woman who beat Swiatek in New York — set to be the second seed.
Swiatek and Anisimova are set to be the only top-10 players in action, though world No 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova and world No 12 Clara Tauson are also currently both entered.
2024 runner-up Kasatkina and Diana Shnaider round up the top-20 stars in action at the event, with Veronika Kudermetova and defending champion Haddad Maia rounding out the eight seeds.
Tennis News
Can Iga Swiatek challenge Aryna Sabalenka for 2025 year-end No 1 ranking?
WTA Rankings: Sabalenka reigns supreme, Anisimova’s career-high, Osaka +10
Outside of them, the biggest star in action is Emma Raducanu, who has opted to withdraw from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and instead take a wildcard into the WTA 500 event.
Raducanu was a quarter-finalist twelve months ago, retiring against Kasatkina due to injury.
Other notable names set to be in action include former Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin and French Open star Lois Boisson.
Ranking points
A full official ranking points breakdown is yet to be confirmed for the 2025 event, though it is unlikely to have changed from 12 months ago.
As a WTA 500 event, the eventual champion will earn 500 ranking points, with the tournament runner-up likely set to receive 325 points.
Beaten semi-finalists are likely to earn 195 points and quarter-finalists 108 points, with 60 points awarded in round two, and one point awarded in round one.
Prize money
A round-by-round prize money windfall is yet to be released, though the overall tournament prize money package has increased from 2024.
This year, a total of $1,064,510 is available across the entire event, up from the $922,573 available across both the singles and doubles competitions from last year.
Haddad Maia received $142,000 for her triumph in 2024, so the eventual champion will likely receive an increase on that.
Draw date
The main draw will begin on Monday, September 15th, with qualifying set to begin two days before on Saturday.
The date for the official draw is yet to be confirmed, though is likely to take place on either Friday or Saturday.
Entry List
1) Iga Swiatek
2) Amanda Anisimova
3) Ekaterina Alexandrova
4) Clara Tauson
5) Daria Kasatkina
6) Diana Shnaider
7) Veronika Kudermetova
8) Beatriz Haddad Maia
(WC) Emma Raducanu
(PR) Sorana Cirstea
Lois Boisson
Jaqueline Cristian
Maya Joint
Sofia Kenin
McCartney Kessler
Ashlyn Krueger
Tatjana Maria
Anastasia Potapova
Remainder of field confirmed by further wildcards and qualifiers
The post 2025 Korea Open entry list, prize money, points, draw date: Swiatek, Raducanu, Anisimova lead field appeared first on Tennis365.