2025 Korea Open Seoul WTA Entry List: Swiatek, Anisimova, Kenin & More

The 2025 Korea Open in Seoul could be the tournament's best iteration because of its high-quality entry list.

Last year, Daria Kasatkina was the top seed and lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the final. Although an enjoyable tournament, it did not have the star quality seen at other 500-level events like the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix or the Berlin Open.

Several Grand Slam champions have won the Korea Open since its formation in 2004, including Venus Williams, who is in the US Open women's draw, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jelena Ostapenko.

Jessica Pegula's 2023 triumph was also notable because Seoul is the birthplace of her mother. In 2024, the tournament became 500-level, upgrading from its previous status as a WTA 250-level event.

This year's iteration is scheduled from September 15th to 21st, a week after the US Open ends. It occupied the same position on the calendar in 2024, complicating attempts to attract the best players since consecutive mandatory 1000-level tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan occur immediately afterward.

That means Iga Swiatek's place on the Korea Open entry list is a significant success for the tournament organizers. The six-time Grand Slam champion's presence, before considering anyone else, will boost ticket sales.

Swiatek is back at No. 2 in the WTA rankings, overtaking Coco Gauff, because of exceptional form since the grass-court swing. She had dropped to No. 8 after her 2025 French Open semifinal defeat to Aryna Sabalenka.

Since then, Swiatek has won her maiden Wimbledon and Cincinnati Open titles and also lost to Jessica Pegula in the 2025 Bad Homburg Open final. The Pole's results since the clay-court swing ended are the best worldwide.

Although Sabalenka remains ahead at the top, Swiatek is back in the year-end No. 1 race because of her results. That might have influenced the 24-year-old's decision to play an extra tournament during the Asian swing.

Swiatek's run to the Wimbledon title included an extraordinary 6-0, 6-0 final triumph against Amanda Anisimova. The American could have a chance of getting revenge after signing up for the Korea Open.

That brutal ending should not mask Anisimova's achievement of making the final, which included beating Sabalenka in a heated semifinal. When she finds her best tennis, Anisimova can compete with anyone.

Former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin has not won a WTA title since the Lyon Open in March 2020. If the American does not pull off a huge shock and win the US Open, her next attempt at ending that drought will be at the Korea Open next month.

Haddad Maia plans on returning to Seoul to defend her title. She will play at the maiden iteration of the Sao Paulo Open on home soil in Brazil, starting September 8th, before flying straight to Asia.

Veronika Kudermetova, who revealed the startling message she received from Holger Rune, hopes to find her form from the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semifinal. Jasmine Paolini ended her run.

Kasatkina, Diana Shnaider, Clara Tauson, Maya Joint, and McCartney Kessler are among the other names on the Korea Open entry list.