The penultimate WTA 1000 tournament of the season is set to get underway next week in Beijing.
Beginning on the 30th of September, the China Open has already suffered some huge blows, with five top-20 players withdrawing. Jessica Pegula, Marta Kostyuk, Sorana Cirstea, Victoria Mboko and Alex Eala have all pulled out of the competition.
Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff all remain on the entry list, but on Saturday the China Open suffered another big blow to its lineup.
Amanda Anisimova withdraws from the 2026 China Open
Defending champion Amanda Anisimova has withdrawn from the 2026 China Open. She was recently scheduled to feature at the Singapore Open, but decided not to play due to a left wrist injury.
Anisimova, who enjoyed the best season of her career last year, was looking to clinch her first title of the year in Singapore. She has not hoisted a tour-level trophy since she triumphed at the China Open last season.
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In Beijing in 2025, Anisimova dismantled Coco Gauff en route to capturing her second WTA 1000 title. Since then, she has made just one WTA 1000 semifinal, and one quarterfinal.
At Grand Slams this year, Anisimova made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, which would ultimately be her best major finish of 2026. The American went on to suffer three consecutive third-round exits at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
With her withdrawal from the China Open, Anisimova is set to lose 1000 points and will leave the WTA top 15 as a result. She is currently ranked 11th in the world, having reached a career-high of third earlier this year.
After qualifying for the WTA Finals for the first time in her career last season and making the semifinals there, Anisimova is unlikely to make the cut for the 2026 edition of the year-end tournament. With 1,963 live points to her name, she is 21st in the race to the WTA Finals.
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