WTA players lap up ‘amazing atmosphere’ ahead of Singapore Tennis Open

Players posing for photos in their kebayas at the Singapore Tennis Open welcome party at Hilton Singapore Orchard on Sept 20.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Published Sep 20, 2026, 09:54 PM

Updated Sep 20, 2026, 11:02 PM

WTA players enjoy Singapore’s culture and warm atmosphere ahead of the $1.2 million Singapore Tennis Open, appreciating sightseeing, local food, and welcoming fans.

Top seeds like Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, and Elise Mertens share excitement about competing and inspiring young tennis fans in Asia.

The tournament highlights Asia’s growing tennis scene and its role in motivating regional youth, with players valuing the chance to explore and relax between matches.

SINGAPORE – As a tourist spot, Singapore’s list of must-visit attractions and experiences include indulging in chilli crab, shopping in Orchard Road and dressing up in traditional costumes “for the ‘gram (Instagram)”.

Some of the world’s top players have already ticked these off their lists before the Sept 21-27 Singapore Tennis Open.

Ahead of the US$1.2 million (S$1.5 million) tournament, world No. 11 Amanda Anisimova strolled down Orchard Road and enjoyed local hawker fare, though she put off a visit to Sentosa because of the heat.

Speaking at the event’s welcome party on Sept 20, she said: “I love walking around here, I love all the shopping and all the people. They’re always so welcoming and the atmosphere is amazing. I enjoy every second when I’m here.”

Several players were also spotted in kebayas at the event at Hilton Singapore Orchard, as guests were serenaded live with folk tunes like Chan Mali Chan by ethnic music group yIN Harmony.

Before her first-round match against Linda Fruhvirtova, Greek world No. 33 Maria Sakkari’s first challenge here was tackling a feast of chilli crab and mantou, which she described as “tough to eat, but very good”.

For the WTA players, experiencing the local culture is one of the highlights of being a touring pro, and a big reason why they enjoy competing in Asia.

The WTA 500 tournament at The Kallang’s OCBC Arena is part of its Asian swing that includes tournaments in China, South Korea and Japan.

It features a stacked field that includes Roland Garros champion and top seed Mirra Andreeva, Filipino rising star Alexandra Eala and defending champion Elise Mertens.

As the leading seeds alongside Anisimova, the four players received a bye into the second round.

Anisimova, 25, enjoys exploring new places as it also helps her relax before a tournament.

The American said: “It brings cultures together and it allows us to explore cities we otherwise maybe wouldn’t go to because, for me, it’s very far away.

“I came here earlier so I get to explore the city, and I made sure to have time when I can just do things where I’m relaxed. When you have a day off, try and do something for yourself and then get back to work, because normally our days are quite busy and long at tournaments.”

Russian world No. 5 Andreeva relishes opportunities to play in “every spot of the world”, especially during what she calls one of her favourite parts of the season.

“It’s great that a lot of people can see us play live, like kids or anyone who loves to play and watch tennis,” she said.

“For us, it’s also great to explore more cities and meet new people. It’s a little bit cloudy here but I love that the city is very green and I’ve started exploring a little bit. So far, I’m enjoying it.”

Top seed and world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva is excited to begin her campaign in Singapore. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Top seed and world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva is excited to begin her campaign in Singapore.

Instead of chilli crab, she will be fuelled by her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June.

The 19-year-old said: “It gives me nothing else but more desire to play better and to win more matches and titles. I keep working, keep trying to improve and time will show if that will ever happen again.”

The teenager will be aiming to dethrone her practice partner, Belgian world No. 19 Mertens, in Singapore.

Elise Mertens won the inaugural Singapore Tennis Open title in 2025, when it was a WTA 250 tournament. PHOTO: ST FILE

Elise Mertens won the inaugural Singapore Tennis Open title in 2025, when it was a WTA 250 tournament.

Mertens ended a singles title drought that began in October 2023 with her triumph over Ann Li at the Kallang Tennis Hub in February 2025.

The 30-year-old said: “It has a special feel coming back as a defending champion. It meant a lot (to win in 2025). A lot of people came to watch and it really felt like tennis was alive here.

“That’s such a nice feeling to have, and there’re little kids who you can maybe inspire a little bit to play tennis.

“I have really good memories in Singapore and I’m very happy to be back.”

Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala at the Singapore Tennis Open welcome party at Hilton Orchard Singapore on Sept 20. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala at the Singapore Tennis Open welcome party at Hilton Orchard Singapore on Sept 20.

For world No. 18 Eala, a return to South-east Asia is special as the 21-year-old noted the importance of such events in inspiring young players in the region.

Pointing to the first WTA tournament in Manila in January, the Quezon City native said: “It’s a different experience to be able to see these players, how they work, how they compete live. It gives them kind of a goal.

“This tournament is the biggest tournament in the region, so that’s great for the community. That’s great for the youth. These tournaments in this region can really help to grow the sport.”

Laura Chia is a journalist covering breaking news and current affairs, with an interest in sports.

Sports and recreation

Singapore Sports Hub

9月20日，球员们身着马来西亚传统服饰（kebaya）在新加坡乌节希尔顿酒店举行的新加坡网球公开赛欢迎派对上合影留念。

ST 摄影：AZMI ATHNI

发布于 2026 年 9 月 20 日晚上 9:54

更新于2026年9月20日晚上11:02

在总奖金高达 120 万美元的新加坡网球公开赛开赛前，WTA 球员们享受着新加坡的文化和热情氛围，欣赏着观光、品尝当地美食，并感受着球迷们的热情。

像米拉·安德烈耶娃、阿曼达·阿尼西莫娃和埃莉斯·梅尔滕斯这样的种子选手都对参赛感到兴奋，并希望激励亚洲的年轻网球迷。

该赛事凸显了亚洲网球运动的蓬勃发展及其在激励区域青少年方面所发挥的作用，球员们也十分珍惜在比赛间隙探索和放松的机会。

新加坡——作为旅游胜地，新加坡的必游景点和体验包括品尝辣椒螃蟹、在乌节路购物以及穿上传统服饰“在Instagram上晒照”。

在 9 月 21 日至 27 日新加坡网球公开赛之前，一些世界顶级球员已经完成了这些目标。

在奖金高达 120 万美元（150 万新元）的锦标赛开赛前，世界排名第 11 的阿曼达·阿尼西莫娃漫步在乌节路，品尝了当地小贩美食，但由于天气炎热，她推迟了前往圣淘沙的行程。

9月20日，她在活动欢迎会上说：“我喜欢在这里散步，喜欢这里的一切，也喜欢这里的人们。他们总是那么热情好客，气氛也棒极了。我在这里的每一秒都无比享受。”

在新加坡希尔顿乌节酒店的活动中，一些球员还穿着马来西亚传统服饰马来服饰，民族音乐组合 yIN Harmony 现场演奏了《Chan Mali Chan》等民歌，为来宾们助兴。

在与琳达·弗鲁维尔托娃的首轮比赛之前，世界排名第 33 位的希腊选手玛丽亚·萨卡里在这里面临的第一个挑战是享用一顿辣椒螃蟹和馒头大餐，她形容这顿饭“很难吃，但非常好吃”。

对于WTA球员来说，体验当地文化是巡回赛职业球员的一大亮点，也是她们喜欢在亚洲比赛的重要原因。

在加冷 OCBC 体育馆举行的 WTA 500 赛事是其亚洲巡回赛的一部分，该巡回赛还包括在中国、韩国和日本举行的赛事。

参赛阵容强大，包括法网冠军兼头号种子米拉·安德烈耶娃、菲律宾新星亚历山德拉·埃拉和卫冕冠军埃莉斯·梅尔滕斯。

与阿尼西莫娃一起作为种子选手，这四位球员直接晋级第二轮。

25岁的阿尼西莫娃喜欢探索新地方，这也有助于她在比赛前放松身心。

这位美国人说：“它将不同的文化融合在一起，让我们有机会探索一些我们原本可能不会去的城市，因为对我来说，这些城市太远了。”

“我提前来到这里，这样就可以好好探索这座城市，而且我特意留出一些时间让自己放松。当你休息的时候，尽量做一些让自己开心的事情，然后再回去工作，因为通常在比赛期间，我们每天都很忙，时间也很长。”

世界排名第五的俄罗斯选手安德烈耶娃非常享受在“世界各地”比赛的机会，尤其是在她称之为赛季中最喜欢的阶段之一。

“很高兴很多人能够现场观看我们的比赛，比如孩子们，或者任何喜欢打网球和看网球的人，”她说。

“对我们来说，探索更多城市、结识新朋友也很棒。这里有点阴天，但我很喜欢这座城市的绿化，我已经开始四处逛逛了。到目前为止，我很享受这里的一切。”

头号种子、世界排名第五的米拉·安德烈耶娃对即将在新加坡开启的征程感到兴奋。（海峡时报摄影：阿兹米·阿特尼）

头号种子、世界排名第五的米拉·安德烈耶娃对即将在新加坡开始的比赛感到兴奋。

她不会像其他人那样沉迷于辣椒螃蟹，而是会以六月份在罗兰·加洛斯赢得的首个大满贯冠军为动力。

这位19岁的球员说：“这只会让我更加渴望打得更好，赢得更多比赛和冠军。我会继续努力，不断尝试进步，时间会证明这一切是否还能再次发生。”

这位少女的目标是在新加坡击败她的陪练伙伴、世界排名第 19 位的比利时选手梅尔滕斯。

2025年，埃莉斯·梅尔滕斯赢得了首届新加坡网球公开赛的冠军，当时该赛事是WTA 250级别的赛事。（图片：海峡时报档案）

2025年，艾丽丝·梅尔滕斯赢得了首届新加坡网球公开赛冠军，当时该赛事是WTA 250赛事。

梅尔滕斯在2025年2月于加冷网球中心战胜安·李，结束了自2023年10月开始的单打冠军荒。

这位30岁的球员说：“作为卫冕冠军重返赛场，感觉很特别。（在2025年赢得冠军）意义非凡。很多人都来看比赛，感觉这里的网球氛围真的很浓厚。”

“拥有这种感觉真好，而且你还可以激励一些小孩子去打网球。”

“我在新加坡有很多美好的回忆，很高兴能回到这里。”

9月20日，菲律宾网球运动员亚历山德拉·埃拉出席在新加坡希尔顿乌节酒店举行的新加坡网球公开赛欢迎派对。（海峡时报摄影：阿兹米·阿特尼）

9月20日，菲律宾网球运动员亚历山德拉·埃拉在新加坡乌节希尔顿酒店举行的新加坡网球公开赛欢迎派对上。

对于世界排名第 18 位的埃拉来说，重返东南亚意义非凡，这位 21 岁的球员指出，此类赛事对于激励该地区的年轻球员至关重要。

这位来自奎松市的选手在谈到1月份在马尼拉举行的首届WTA巡回赛时说：“能够亲眼看到这些球员，了解她们如何训练、如何比赛，这是一种不同的体验。这给了她们一个目标。”

“这项赛事是该地区规模最大的赛事，这对社区来说是一件好事，对青少年来说也是一件好事。该地区的这些赛事确实有助于这项运动的发展。”

Laura Chia是一位报道突发新闻和时事的记者，对体育也颇感兴趣。

体育和休闲

新加坡体育城