2025 Korea Open Seoul Prize Money & WTA Ranking Points

The WTA's Asian swing kicks off on Monday with the 2025 Korea Open in Seoul, and the players will fight for the prize money and ranking points on offer.

This year's Korea Open could be among the best in the tournament's history. It was first played in 2004, and Maria Sharapova won it. Since then, the event has become a popular mainstay in the women's game.

The 2024 edition was its first at 500-level after being upgraded. Iga Swiatek and 2023 champion Jessica Pegula were initially set to play last year, but both withdrew, weakening the entry list for the tournament that Beatriz Haddad Maia ultimately won.

Organizers must be relieved that Swiatek will follow through on her commitment to play this time. The six-time Grand Slam champion is a significant favorite to win the title after how she has played in recent months.

Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin are among the others in the Korea Open's excellent draw. They and every woman will fight for the highest share of the $1,064,510 prize money pot.

The 2025 Korea Open champion will receive $164,000, $19,000 more than the $142,000 given to Haddad Maia at last year's iteration of the WTA 500 event. 500 ranking points is also a guaranteed reward for the winner.

Whoever loses in the final will also receive a six-figure sum. The runner-up in Seoul is set to earn $101,000, an improvement on the $87,655 given to Kasatkina last year and 325 points.

Veronika Kudermetova, who exposed Holger Rune for messaging her a few weeks ago, and Diana Shnaider were last year's defeated semifinalists. They missed a great chance to win a title in an open draw.

This year's beaten semifinals will earn $59,000 and 195 ranking points. That is a modest improvement on the $51,205 awarded to Kudermetova and Shnaider for getting that far 12 months ago.

The four players who lose in next week's quarterfinals will get $28,695, less than half of what the semifinalists earn, and 108 points. Raducanu retired against Kasatkina in last year's quarterfinals with an injury after the first set.

Swiatek, Kasatkina, Clara Tauson, and Ekaterina Alexandrova are the Top four seeds at the 2025 Korea Open. That means they receive a bye into the round of 16, unlike the players seeded from five to eight.

Therefore, Swiatek and the other three top seeds are guaranteed to leave Seoul with at least $15,700 and 60 points. The prize money probably will not matter much to the Pole, especially if the organizers have promised her an appearance fee.

$11,300 and one ranking point will be handed to players who fall in the opening round. That is not a bad financial reward for not winning a main draw match, and it can help lower-ranked women with their costs at future tournaments.

Hopefully, the Korea Open and the entire Asian swing deliver on expectations. Swiatek has a mathematical chance of overtaking Aryna Sabalenka as the year-end No. 1, which might explain her participation in Seoul.