WTA Tour and WTA 125 Schedule – January 2026

The Hologic WTA Tour is set to ignite the 2026 season with a flurry of hard-court action in January, as players descend upon Australia for the annual “Summer of Tennis” leading into the Australian Open. The first month of the calendar year is packed with high-stakes preparation, featuring a unique mixed-team event alongside two critical WTA 500 tournaments and a WTA 250, providing the crucial match practice needed for the first Grand Slam of the year. The global circuit also features the lower-tier WTA 125 series, offering up-and-coming talent and returning players valuable points outside of the main Tour.

The Australian Hard-Court Blitz

The season officially begins in Week 1 with the fourth staging of the United Cup, a thrilling mixed-team event where WTA and ATP players represent their countries. Held in the major Australian cities of Perth and Sydney, this tournament combines national pride with intense competition, offering players the first opportunity to test their form against top-ranked opposition. The United Cup is an integral part of the early season, providing a high-profile, high-energy launch pad for the year. This event is a hard-court affair, consistent with the surface of the Grand Slam that follows.

Alongside the team competition, Week 1 features two critical individual tournaments, the WTA 500 Brisbane International presented by EVIE in Brisbane and the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. Both tournaments are played on hard courts, serving as the essential first week of singles and doubles play. The Brisbane International, an established powerhouse on the calendar, typically attracts a deep field of top 50 players, given its significant ranking points and prize money.

The competitive intensity then shifts to Week 2 with the Adelaide International, a WTA 500 event, and the Hobart International, a WTA 250 tournament, which provide the final tune-ups before the Australian Open. The Adelaide International, held from January 12–17, 2026, is a crucial stop for elite players to finalize their Grand Slam preparations. These lead-up events are carefully timed to allow players to transition smoothly into the first Major of the year.

The First Grand Slam of the Year

The main event of January is, of course, the Australian Open in Melbourne, which begins in Weeks 3 and 4, starting on January 19, 2026. This Grand Slam is the ultimate test of early-season form and crowns the first Major champion of the year. Due to a schedule modification, the Australian Open is set to begin one week later than previous years, pushing the start of the first WTA 1000 event in Doha back and compressing the early season slightly. The total commitment to Australian events in January solidifies the region’s status as the launchpad for the Hologic WTA Tour.

WTA 125 Series: Launching the Global Circuit

While the top-tier players compete in Oceania, the WTA 125 series provides vital opportunities for players ranked outside the top 50 to gain points, confidence, and prize money. The WTA 125 schedule for the first month of the season also starts in Australia, highlighting the Tour’s global reach.

In Week 1 (starting December 30, 2025, according to the 2025 calendar document), the Workday Canberra International is listed in Canberra, Australia. This hard-court event serves as an initial opportunity for players to begin their season and is often utilized by athletes seeking match fitness before the Australian Open qualifying begins.

Further into the month, in Week 5 (starting January 27, 2026, according to the 2025 calendar document), the WTA 125 schedule lists two tournaments, the L&T Mumbai Open in Mumbai, India, and the Cancun Tennis Open in Cancun, Mexico. These hard-court tournaments mark the beginning of the WTA 125 swing through Asia and the Americas, demonstrating the tier’s vital role in providing competitive opportunities beyond the top of the Tour. The potential for a new WTA 125 event, the Manila Open in the Philippines, is also a topic of discussion, with tentative dates set for the final week of January, though this is not listed in the official 2026 schedule provided.

The emphasis on competition across all levels, from the mixed-team glamour of the United Cup to the development focus of the WTA 125s, underscores WTA CEO Portia Archer’s goal to “foster equality, opportunity and excellence at every level” of the Tour.

January 2026 Tournament List

The following are the official WTA Tour and WTA 125 tournaments scheduled for January 2026, based on the provided documents: