2026 Abu Dhabi Open Prize Money & WTA Ranking Points Overview

The first WTA 500 tournament after the Australian Open will occur at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open, and the prize money details for the tournament have been released.

Last year's edition was memorable. Belinda Bencic, just a couple of months after returning from maternity leave, won the title. She recovered from dropping the opening set against Ashlyn Krueger in the final.

Unsurprisingly, Bencic is on the 2026 entry list. It will feel like an important tournament for the Swiss, who have a chance to recover from an early exit at the 2026 Australian Open after being seen by many as a dark horse for the title.

More broadly, the Abu Dhabi Open is important for players as the opening tournament of the Middle Eastern swing. Mandatory WTA 1000 tournaments contested in Doha and Dubai follow in the weeks after.

Those participating in Abu Dhabi have the opportunity to win the largest share of the prize money. The rewards are better than those at the tournaments in Ostrava and Cluj-Napoca, which are WTA 250 events in the same week.

The 2026 Abu Dhabi Open champion will receive 500 ranking points and $185,500. WTA 500 tournaments do not have identical prize money, but all winners are guaranteed to get a six-figure sum of some kind.

This year's runner-up in Abu Dhabi will also earn a six-figure sum of $114,500 and 325 points. That combination means losing in the final will not have made getting to that stage a waste of time.

2026 Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina was stunned by Bencic in last year's semifinal of the Abu Dhabi Open. Whoever matches that achievement will leave the tournament with $66,000 and 185 points.

Ons Jabeur, who announced her pregnancy last year, Marketa Vondrousova, and Leylah Fernandez were among the beaten quarterfinalists in 2025. That shows what a star-studded entry list the event had.

The four women who reach the quarterfinals but go no further next week will receive $33,470 and 108 points. While not outstanding, it remains a decent incentive for getting through the opening two rounds in Abu Dhabi.

Ranking points for players dip into two figures for the round of 16. The women who fall at that stage will have 60 points added to their WTA rankings totals and $17,235 added to their bank accounts.

One ranking point and $11,250 will be awarded to the opening-round losers. A single ranking point would not justify the expense and effort of traveling for players. That makes players determined to get at least one win to show for their efforts.

Although the WTA's Middle Eastern swing is not universally loved by fans, the Abu Dhabi Open has had four strong editions since its founding in 2021 (it was not played in 2022). Hopefully, this year lives up to what came before.

Bencic is a two-time champion at the event. Aryna Sabalenka and Rybakina are the other former winners of the tournament. Sabalenka's 2021 triumph was the ninth of her illustrious career.