Four of the world's top 10 players are on the entry list for the first WTA tournament of the 2021 season - the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open.
The WTA 500 event, which runs from January 5-13 at Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre, will feature 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, WTA World No.5 Elina Svitolina, former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova and Aryna Sabalenka, winner of the last two WTA titles of the 2020 season.
Joining that quartet of top 10 players are former Roland Garros champions Garbiñe Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Among the game's rising stars on the entry list are Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Elise Mertens and Marketa Vondrousova.
Read more: WTA announces start of 2021 Tour season
The 2020 Roland Garros semifinalist, Nadia Podorska, and two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Ons Jabeur are also in the field along with World No.12 Belinda Bencic and World No.22 Maria Sakkari.
As a pair, Mertens and Sabalenka head the doubles field alongside the Czech partnership of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.
Read more: Barty heads strong 2021 Australian Open field
![[3] Coco Gauff d. [7] Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), WTA Finals Riyadh F (3:04). Gauff clinched her first WTA Finals title by winning the second-longest final of the year. It was also the longest final at the WTA Finals dating back to 2008.](https://photoresources.wtatennis.com/photo-resources/2024/11/09/4a2a1712-283c-4996-a572-6682f3eeca0c/GettyImages-2183155727.jpg?width=451&height=268)
