The WTA Tour makes its second stop on the African continent this season for the second edition of the Tunisia Open.
The WTA 250 event will run from October 16th through 22nd featuring a 32-player singles field. It will be contested on the outdoor hard courts at Skanes Family Hotel Monastir in Tunisia and the initial entry list is out.
Elise Mertens became the inaugural champion last year when she defeated Alize Cornet in the final. Tunisian fans braced themselves for a home coronation, but the top seed Ons Jabeur was stunned in the quarterfinals stage.
Jabeur won't return this year, presumably due to scheduling issues, as she is in the running for a spot in the WTA Finals, held just a week after the Tunisian Open. But there is a hale and hearty group of 32 players in the singles draw.
Mertens and Cornet are both returning to the central coast of Tunisia to defend their points from last year. Other seasoned veterans include 36-year-old duo Sara Errani and Tatjana Maria, and 34-year-old Lesia Tsurenko, who are set to appear in this event for the first time.
High-flying American Peyton Stearns and Italy's Jasmine Paolini have both reached a WTA final this season but came up short. This could be a wonderful opportunity for them to make amends and land the ultimate prize in a WTA 250 event.
Dutch lefty Arantxa Rus joined the winners' podium at Tour level for the first time this season when she won in Hamburg. She'll be making her first stop in Africa in almost a year. Fellow southpaw Martina Trevisan is also an entrant. The Italian had a disappointing title defense in Rabat, Morocco earlier this year, where she retired due to injury.
Lucia Bronzetti will hope to make it two in two in Africa after winning a maiden WTA title in Rabat during the clay swing. She is slated to play in the Tunisia Open for the first time. American Claire Liu recorded the biggest scalp in last year's edition when she eliminated Jabeur, and she'll be eyeing another upset this year.
The WTA's undercards who are also in the field include Spain's Marina Bassols Ribera, Lucrezia Stefanini, Tereza Martincova, and Emina Bektas.
2023 Tunisia Open Monastir WTA Entry List:
| Seed | Name | Entry Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elise Mertens | 29 |
| 2 | Jasmine Paolini | 35 |
| 3 | Peyton Stearns | 43 |
| 4 | Lesia Tsurenko | 46 |
| 5 | Arantxa Rus | 47 |
| 6 | Tatjana Maria | 48 |
| 7 | Martina Trevisan | 54 |
| 8 | Anna Karolina Schmiedlova | 58 |
| Lucia Bronzetti | 60 | |
| Clara Burel | 65 | |
| Magdalena Frech | 66 | |
| Claire Liu | 69 | |
| Tamara Zidansek | 80 | |
| Nadia Podoroska | 84 | |
| Cristina Bucsa | 87 | |
| Alize Cornet | 97 | |
| Sara Errani | 104 | |
| Marina Bassols Ribera | 112 | |
| Allona Bolsova | 115 | |
| Lucrezia Stefanini | 118 | |
| Tereza Martincova | 119 | |
| Emmina Bektas | 120 | |
| Kristina Kucova | 90 (SR) | |
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