The 2026 Ningbo Open was due to feature five WTA top-10 players, but that total is down to just two with Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek among the big-name stars to withdraw from the tournament.
The duo were due to join world No 1 Elena Rybakina, No 4 Jessica Pegula and No 10 Marta Kostyuk in the star-studded WTA 500 line-up at the Yinzhou Tennis Centre this week.
World No 6 Svitolina withdrew from the tournament on Friday with the decision coming just 48 hours before she announced the shock news that her marriage with former ATP star Gael Monfils is ending.
The Ukrainian released an emotional statement on Monday, asking “for your kindness and for the space we need to heal”, which puts her Ningbo decision into perspective.
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She was replaced in the main draw by fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina.
Svitolina joined Pegula and Anna Kalinskaya on the list as Pegula announced she won’t play as she is focusing on her health, and that meant Leylah Fernandez was bumped up into the main draw.
World No 23 Kalinskaya withdrew due to illness and she had announced her decision three weeks ago when she was forced to retire from her opening match at the China Open in Beijing.
On Monday, newly-crowned Wuhan Open champion Maja Chwalinska pulled out of the tournament due to injury as she announced on social media: “The past two weeks have been very physically demanding, and my body needs some rest and recovery.
“I was really looking forward to playing in Ningbo, especially as I’ve only heard great things about the tournament.”
And barely 24 hours later, Chwalinska’s fellow Pole Swiatek joined the list as she withdrew due to a thigh injury.
Former world No 1 Swiatek picked up the injury during her semi-final defeat to Chwalinska and she ignored calls from her team to retire during the match.
Full list of Ningbo Open withdrawals
- Jessica Pegula (world No 4) → replaced by Leylah Fernandez
- Elina Svitolina (world No 6) → replaced by Anhelina Kalinina
- Iga Swiatek (world No 9) → replaced by Anastasia Zakharova
- Maja Chwalinska (world No 11) → replaced by Daria Snigur
- Anna Kalinskaya (world No 23) → replaced by Diane Parry
- Wang Xiyu (world No 81) → replaced by Alycia Parks
Swiatek was due to be the second seed and set to face Marie Bouzkova in the second round, but lucky loser Anastasia Zakharova will now go straight into the second round to take on the Czech for a place in the quarter-finals.
Pegula and Kalinskaya have also withdrawn from next week’s Pan Pacific Open in Japan, but as things stand, Swiatek, Svitolina and Chwalinska are still on the entry list of the WTA 500 event, although it is unlikely they will play.
