In its inaugural edition as a Tour level event, the 2023 Ningbo Open is among a plethora of tennis tournaments taking place on the Asian continent.
The Ningbo Open was initially staged as part of the WTA 125K series before it became defunct. But with the WTA finally lifting its suspension of events being staged in China, we'll have a freshly minted tournament as part of the 2023 calendar.
It features a competitive field for a WTA 250 category, which will be played from September 25th to 30th at the ostentatiously constructed Yinzhou Tennis Centre. The 32-woman lineup will be led by two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova - the tournament's top seed.
The Czech left-hander is the most decorated player in the draw and has won three of her 31 career titles on Chinese soil. American Jennifer Brady, who recently returned from career-threatening injuries, is making full use of her protected ranking status.
Russia's Anastasia Potapova, who had a standout first half of the season also features as is resurgent Romanian Sorana Cirstea who recently rejoined the Top 30. Egyptian trailblazer Mayar Sherif, Anna Blinkova, and Varvara Gracheva are also among the players on the entry lists.
There is a mix of experience and youth in the field. 22-year-old American Alycia Parks will make another push for a strong end to the season, just as she did in the second half of 2022. Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova burst onto the scene at last year's Asian swing when she won a maiden title in Chennai.
Fruhvirtova will be hoping lightning can strike twice when plays in Ningbo. Fruhvirtova has already touched down in Asia where she is scheduled to appear in a slew of tournaments. Experienced players such as Irina-Camelia Begu and doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova appear in the initial entry list.
Multiple home players are reportedly in contention to receive wild cards in the coming weeks, among them Wang Xiyu, Yuan Yue and Wang Yafan. To see the full entry list for the 2023 Ningbo Open, be sure to check it out below.
2023 Ningbo Open WTA Entry List:
| Seed | Name | Entry Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petra Kvitova | 11 |
| 2 | Anastasia Potapova | 27 |
| 3 | Sorana Cirstea | 30 |
| 4 | Elise Mertens | 32 |
| 5 | Mayar Sherif | 33 |
| 6 | Anna Blinkova | 38 |
| 7 | Varvara Gracheva | 40 |
| 8 | Alycia Parks | 42 |
| Irina-Camelia Begu | 43 | |
| Arantxa Rus | 45 | |
| Katerina Siniakova | 49 | |
| Julia Grabher | 54 | |
| Linda Fruhvirtova | 56 | |
| Martina Trevisan | 58 | |
| Katie Boulter | 61 | |
| Jennifer Brady | 14 (PR) | |
| Daria Saville | 54 (PR) | |
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