The 2024 Hong Kong Open runs from October 28th to November 3rd, and there is one of the best WTA 250 entry lists of the season for the event.
Strict WTA rules about the number of players inside the Top 30 who can enter WTA-250 tournaments often mean tournaments at that level are overshadowed by WTA-500 events taking place during the same week.
However, that is not true for the 2024 WTA Hong Kong Open. It is played at the same time as two other WTA-250 tournaments, and the entry list for the event held during the final week of this year's Asian swing on the WTA calendar is superb.
Last year's tournament was one of the most underrated of 2023. The former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez won an outstanding final against Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to secure the title.
Fernandez used the momentum from that triumph to lead Canada to their first Billie Jean King Cup title. She and Bianca Andreescu are on Canada's team for their title defense in Malaga next month.
Unsurprisingly, Fernandez is set to return to the Hong Kong Open to defend her title. The 2021 US Open finalist has had a mixed season, and she could drop significantly in the rankings if she loses early in Hong Kong.
Fernandez will need to navigate a challenging entry list, which includes former Grand Slam champions and high-ranked players, to repeat her achievement from last year.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is the most high-profile player on the 2024 Hong Kong Open entry list. Her last appearance was in the China Open round of 16 against Coco Gauff.
Unfortunately for Osaka, she was forced to retire after the second set due to a back injury. That led to the two-time US Open champion withdrawing from her home tournament at the Japan Championships.
Hopefully, the 26-year-old will be fit and ready for the Hong Kong Open, which starts in two weeks. Due to her status as one of the most high-profile players in the world, there are always great crowds when Osaka competes.
Emma Raducanu also hopes to make her return from an injury at the 2024 Hong Kong Open. She has not played since the Korea Open a few weeks ago due to sprained ligaments in her foot.
Despite that setback, Raducanu has not ended her decision. That may be due to Team Great Britain's participation in next month's Billie Jean King Cup Finals, largely due to Raducanu's inspired performances against France in April's qualifiers.
Danielle Collins is the highest-ranked player on the Hong Kong Open entry list. The American still has an outside chance of qualifying for the year-end WTA Finals, but it is an uphill task after Qinwen Zheng opened up a lead after her run to the final of the Wuhan Open.
Diana Shnaider, Lulu Sun, and Katie Boulter are some of the other players on the entry list for the 2024 Hong Kong Open. The quality of the entry list means the tournament could be a late-season gem for the fans.
2024 Hong Kong Open WTA Players' Entry List:
| Seed | Player | Entry Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danielle Collins | 9 |
| 2 | Diana Shnaider | 16 |
| 3 | Leylah Fernandez | 28 |
| 4 | Magdalena Frech | 31 |
| 5 | Katie Boulter | 34 |
| 6 | Dayana Yastremska | 35 |
| 7 | Katerina Siniakova | 37 |
| 8 | Anastasia Potapova | 38 |
| Lulu Sun | 40 | |
| Yue Yuan | 41 | |
| Elina Avanesyan | 47 | |
| Xinyu Wang | 50 | |
| Taylor Townsend | 52 | |
| Emma Raducanu | 54 | |
| Varvara Gracheva | 62 | |
| Clara Tauson | 72 | |
| Naomi Osaka | 73 | |
| Cristina Bucsa | 79 | |
| Olivia Gadecki | 84 | |
| Bernarda Pera | 92 | |
| Elena-Gabriela Ruse | 93 |
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