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

The championship, which runs from October 6, features competitors from France, China, Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Uzbekistan, South Africa, the Netherlands, South Korea, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Turkey, Czech Republic, Germany, Thailand and Pakistan.

France’s Astrid Cirotte, ranked 624th in the world, is the tournament’s top seed.

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

The main draw matches are scheduled to begin at 10 am on Tuesday, with the tournament providing local players an opportunity to compete against international opposition and earn WTA ranking points.

Pakistan Tennis Federation’s (PTF) president Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and secretary general Col Zia Uddin Tufail extended their best wishes to the participating players and welcomed the international competitors to Pakistan.

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

“These events will enable local players to compete against international opposition, gain valuable experience, win matches and earn important WTA ranking points,” he said.

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

The women’s singles competition will feature a 32-player main draw, while the doubles event has 16 teams. The doubles draw includes two Pakistani pairings in the opening round, with Finnigan and Romisa Malik facing Mahin Qureshi and Ushna Suhail in an all-Pakistani contest.

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