WTA 1000 season schedule: When are the events? Who's playing? Are Emma Raducanu and Serena Williams playing?
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Published 16/03/2022 at 17:41 GMT
When are the WTA 1000 tournaments in 2022? Will there be events played in China after concern for Peng Shuai? Where will Emma Raducanu play this season? British No.1 Raducanu is in her first full season on the WTA Tour after winning the US Open last year. She will be challenging for titles along with Ashleigh Barty, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka.
Emma Raducanu
Image credit: Getty Images
The second WTA 1000 event of the season is taking place in Indian Wells, with five more to come in 2022 and uncertainty over two more in China.
The prestigious tournaments carry the most ranking points outside of the four Grand Slams and usually feature all of the top players on the tour.
Iga Swiatek won the first WTA 1000 tournament of 2022 in Qatar and Ashleigh Barty and Aryna Sabalenka have titles to defend in the next few months. British No.1 Emma Raducanu will also be hoping to make her mark at WTA 1000 tournaments, most of which she will be playing for the first time this year.
When are the WTA 1000 tournaments in 2022?
- March 23-April 3: Miami Open (hard court)
- May April 28-7: Madrid Open (clay)
- May 8-15: Italian Open (clay)
- August 7-14: Canadian Open, Toronto (hard court)
- August 14-21: Cincinnati Open (hard court)
What about WTA 1000 events in China?
The China Open and the Wuhan Open are currently not being played this year as the WTA has suspended tournaments in the country over concern for former doubles player Peng Shuai.
In November, Peng accused a former Chinese Communist party vice-premier, Zhang Gaoli, of alleged sexual coercion three years ago. Her Weibo social media account has since been disabled and she has not been seen in public unaccompanied since. That prompted concern around the world, including from professional tennis players, about her safety and whereabouts.
She has since denied that she ever made the allegations, calling it a “huge misunderstanding”, but the WTA has not changed its stance.
In a statement in February, the WTA said: "It’s always good to see Peng Shuai, whether in an interview or attending the Olympic Games.
"However, her recent in-person interview does not alleviate any of our concerns about her initial post from November 2. We continue to hold firm on our position."
Who are the defending WTA 1000 champions?
There will be a new champion at the Miami Open as world No.1 Barty will not be playing the tournament. Barty is still in Australia following her victory at the Australian Open and is not planning to return to the tour until the clay season.
Barty could be back in action at the Madrid Open, where she lost in the final last year to Sabalenka.
The Madrid Open is one of only two WTA 1000 events on clay along with the Italian Open. Swiatek will be the defending champion in Rome after thrashing Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 in last year’s final. Swiatek lost just 13 points in the match as she eased to a remarkable win.
The Italian Open is the last WTA 1000 before the French Open, which starts on May 22.
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Iga Swiatek was an impressive winner in Rome last year
Image credit: Getty Images
The tour then switches to the grass with several events before Wimbledon. There are WTA 500 tournaments in Berlin (June 13-June 19) and Eastbourne (June 19-June 25) before the third Grand Slam of the season at the All England Club.
The first post-Wimbledon WTA 1000 is the Canadian Open in August. The tournament alternates from year to year between the cities of Montreal and Toronto, with the WTA event this season played in the latter. Unseeded Camila Giorgi was a surprise champion in 2021, beating Pliskova in the final.
The tour then heads to Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open. Barty lifted the trophy last year without dropping a set. The US Open starts a week later in New York on August 29.
Not only are there currently no WTA 1000 events after the US Open, but there are also no WTA 500 tournaments scheduled. There are also WTA 125 events in Europe, South America and North America.
Where will Raducanu play?
This will be a year of firsts for Raducanu.
She has played Indian Wells twice, by virtue of it moving to October last year and then returning to its March spot this season, but is yet to play any of the other WTA 1000 tournaments.
She will play the Miami Open this month before getting her first taste of clay on the WTA Tour.
“I do not believe it will faze her too much changing onto the clay court,” former British No.1 Johanna Konta told Eurosport.
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'Adapting to clay will not faze Emma' - Konta on Raducanu's chances at French Open
“She’s definitely played on clay courts I would assume before as a junior, and obviously again it’ll just be about spending time on that surface at the highest level of the game.
“It’s an exciting time for her to discover how her game feels on the surface against these players so I think more than anything it’s again just time and adding it all into the bank of experience.”
When will Serena Williams play?
Williams' return to the WTA Tour remains a mystery.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played since retiring in the first round of Wimbledon last summer with injury and spoke early in 2022 about being prepared for retirement and her desire to have more children.
She is expected to return to the tour as she continues her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
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Are there combined ATP and WTA Masters events?
The ATP Tour equivalent of WTA 1000 events are ATP Masters tournaments and there are also nine each year.
Indian Wells and the Miami Open are the first of the season and they are followed by three on clay.
The Miami Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open and Cincinnati Open take place alongside the WTA events, but the Canadian Open is played in alternative cities and this year the ATP tournament will be in Montreal. The ATP Tour is also set to continue holding events in China, with the Shanghai Masters being played for the first time since 2019.
- March 23-April 3: Miami Open (hard court)
- April 4-10: Monte-Carlo Masters (clay)
- May 1-8: Madrid Open (clay)
- May 8-15: Italian Open (clay)
- August 7-14: Canadian Open, Montreal (hard court)
- August 14-21: Cincinnati Masters (hard court)
- October 9-16: Shanghai Masters (hard court)
- October 31-November 6: Paris Masters (hard court)
Who has won the most WTA 1000 titles?
Serena Williams has won a record 23 WTA 1000 titles, which were previously known as Tier I tournaments from 1990–2008 and Premier Mandatory and Premier 5 tournaments from 2009–2020.
Williams’ last WTA 1000 win was the Italian Open in 2016.
Steffi Graf is second in the list with 18 titles, ahead of Martina Hingis on 17 and Maria Sharapova on 14.
When are the WTA Finals?
The WTA Finals were scheduled to be played in Shenzhen, China but as it stands that will not be happening due to the Peng Shuai situation.
Last year they were moved from Shenzhen to Guadalajara, Mexico because of the Covid-19 pandemic and that might be an option again, although there has not been an announcement.
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