Beijing 2024: Dates, draws, prize money and everything you need to know

The Hologic WTA Tour makes its way to Beijing for the WTA 1000 China Open, starting Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Fifteen of the Top 20 players in the PIF WTA Singles Rankings will line up for the first WTA 1000 event of the Asian swing, with six spots at the year-end WTA Finals Riyadh still in play. So far, only Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have officially qualified for singles at Riyadh.

Beijing: Scores | Order of Play | Draws

The 12-day China Open, which returned to the calendar last year for the first time since 2019, will be one of two consecutive WTA 1000 events in the country, followed by the returning Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open.

This will be the 18th edition of the WTA tournament in Beijing. The tournament began in 2004 with Serena Williams as its inaugural champion.

Here are the fast facts from the tournament in the Chinese capital city:

When does the tournament start?

Main-draw play at the China Open kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and wraps up on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Singles qualifying will occur on Monday, Sept. 23 and Tuesday, Sept. 24.

The Head Tour Regular Duty ball will be used at the event.

Beijing is on China Standard Time (GMT +8, Eastern Time +12).

How big are the fields?

There will be 96 players competing in the women's singles main draw, with the 32 seeded players receiving first-round byes.

Seventy-six of the players in the singles main draw received direct entry based on the PIF WTA Singles Rankings of August 26. The remaining main-draw spots will be filled by eight wild cards and 12 qualifiers.

The doubles main draw will consist of 32 teams. Three of those teams will be wild-card pairings.

When are the finals?

The singles and doubles finals will both take place on Sunday, Oct. 6.

When are the draws?

The singles main draw will take place on Monday, Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m. local time. The doubles main draw will occur on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Who are the defending champions?

Iga Swiatek won her sixth career WTA 1000 title at last year's China Open, defeating Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-2 in the final. Current World No.1 Swiatek withdrew from the 2024 edition. 

Last year's China Open doubles title went to Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo, who defeated Chan Hao-ching and Giuliana Olmos 3-6, 6-0, [10-4] in the final.

What are the ranking points and prize money on offer in the singles main draw?

First round: 10 points | $23,250
Second round: 35 points | 34,500
Third round: 65 points | $59,100
Round of 16: 120 points | $101,000
Quarterfinals: 215 points | $185,000
Semifinals: 390 points | $325,000
Finalist: 650 points | $585,000
Champion: 1000 points | $1,100,000

Who is playing?

Here are stats for the projected Top 8 seeds:

1. Aryna Sabalenka
Ranking: No.2 (career-high No.1)
Career singles titles: 16 (3 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 5-3
Best China Open result: Quarterfinals (2018, 2023)

2. Jessica Pegula
Ranking: No.3 (career-high No.3)
Career singles titles: 6 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 1-2
Best China Open result: Round of 16 (2023)

3. Jasmine Paolini
Ranking: No.5 (career-high No.5)
Career singles titles: 2 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 2-1
Best China Open result: Round of 16 (2023)

4. Coco Gauff
Ranking: No.6 (career-high No.2)
Career singles titles: 7 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 4-1
Best China Open result: Semifinals (2023)

5. Zheng Qinwen
Ranking: No.7 (career-high No.7)
Career singles titles: 4 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 0-1
Best China Open result: First round (2023)

6. Emma Navarro
Ranking: No.8 (career-high No.8)
Career singles titles: 1 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 0-0
Best China Open result: Never played

7. Barbora Krejcikova
Ranking: No.11 (career-high No.2)
Career singles titles: 8 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 0-1
Best China Open result: First round (2023)

8. Jelena Ostapenko
Ranking: No.12 (career-high No.5)
Career singles titles: 8 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at China Open: 7-5
Best China Open result: Semifinals (2017)

Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka, who won the title in 2019, is the only former Beijing champion contesting this year's main draw. Last year's runner-up Liudmila Samsonova is entered and will be seeded in this year's main draw.

Other former China Open champions like Caroline Wozniacki (titles in 2010 and 2018), Victoria Azarenka (2012) and Caroline Garcia (2017) have joined defending champion Iga Swiatek as withdrawals.

Among the other withdrawals are Top 30 players Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Danielle Collins, Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina.

How did last year's Asian swing play out?

Here's a look at 2023's champions and finalists from this portion of the season in Asia:

Osaka (WTA 250): Ashlyn Krueger def. Zhu Lin
Guangzhou (WTA 250): Wang Xiyu def. Magda Linette

Tokyo (WTA 500): Veronika Kudermetova def. Jessica Pegula
Ningbo (WTA 250): Ons Jabeur def. Diana Shnaider

Beijing (WTA 1000): Iga Swiatek def. Liudmila Samsonova

Zhengzhou (WTA 500): Zheng Qinwen def. Barbora Krejcikova
Hong Kong (WTA 250): Leylah Fernandez def. Katerina Siniakova

Seoul (WTA 250): Jessica Pegula def. Yuan Yue
Nanchang (WTA 250): Katerina Siniakova def. Marie Bouzkova

WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai: Beatriz Haddad Maia def. Zheng Qinwen