France’s Astrid Cirotte, ranked 624th in the world, has been named the top seed for the tournament.

ISLAMABAD: The World Tennis Women’s Championship 2026 will begin at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad on Tuesday, with players from 17 countries competing in the $15,000 international event.

The championship will run from October 6 and feature players from France, China, Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Uzbekistan, South Africa, the Netherlands, South Korea, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Turkiye, the Czech Republic, Germany, Thailand and Pakistan.

France’s Astrid Cirotte Top Seed

France’s Astrid Cirotte, ranked 624th in the world, has been named the top seed for the tournament.

Pakistan’s leading players in the competition include Ushna Suhail, Mahin Aftab Qureshi, Meheq Khokhar, Romaisa Malik and Hajra Sohail.

Main draw matches are scheduled to begin at 10 am on Tuesday, allowing Pakistani players to compete against international opposition and earn valuable WTA ranking points.

PTF Backs Women’s Tennis Development

Pakistan Tennis Federation President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Secretary General Col Zia Uddin Tufail extended their best wishes to all participating players and welcomed the international competitors to Pakistan.

Qureshi said the federation remained committed to developing women’s tennis and providing Pakistani players with opportunities to compete in international tournaments on home soil.

He said such events would allow local players to gain experience against international opponents, improve their performance, win matches and earn important WTA ranking points.

Tufail said back-to-back women’s championships in Islamabad would provide Pakistani players with valuable international exposure while helping them improve their rankings and compete at the professional level.

32 Players in Singles Main Draw

The women’s singles competition will feature a 32-player main draw, while the doubles event will include 16 teams.

The doubles draw features two Pakistani pairings facing each other in the opening round, with Finnigan and Romaisa Malik taking on Mahin Qureshi and Ushna Suhail in an all-Pakistani contest.

Meheq Khokhar, partnering Anna Simkina, will face third seeds Jeong Moon and Kamonwan Yodpetch.

The tournament is expected to provide Pakistan’s emerging women players with valuable international experience and an opportunity to improve their WTA rankings on home soil.