Leylah Fernandez of Canada returns a shot to Diana Shnaider during the Credit One Charleston Open at Credit One Stadium on April 2, 2026 in Charleston, South Carolina. Matthew Stockman, Getty Images/AFP/File
SINGAPORE — Some of the top players in the women's tour are now in Singapore, where they will be in action for the Asian swing.
"I love coming back here. I've been here once before and I love the city and Singapore," said Amanda Anisimova of the United States, who is seeded second in the Singapore Tennis Open.
"I love playing on indoor courts. It's fast, so it suits my game style. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to getting started," she added.
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She also praised the warmth of the crowds in the region.
"The support here is always amazing and I love coming to this part of the world. I feel like everyone is really sweet and nice and I love, yeah, how welcome I always feel here," Anisimova said.
Another American, Alycia Parks, said she keeps her practice sessions light in the lead-up to matches, and looks forward to exploring the local food scene off the court.
"I try not to hit too much. I don't know, to keep my rhythm going… So, yeah, and then, basically, off the court, I like to eat and the food is really good here. So, it puts me in a really good mood. Korean barbeque, Japanese barbeque," she said.
For Belgium's Elise Mertens, the place carries fond memories as she enters the tournament as defending champion.
"I have good memories from Singapore. It's been actually my third time as I played the WTA finals a long time ago in doubles. But, yeah, very happy to be back, of course," she said.
Asked about the tournament's upgrade from a 250 to a 500-level event this year, Mertens welcomed the change.
"It's very nice that they upgraded it to a 500. Of course, you know, with some changes, they had to change some things. The venue and everything. The courts are a bit different. The center court is a bit different. But it's very nice to see that Singapore is, you know, building a bigger tournament," she said.
"It's pretty stacked, the draw. I know I'm playing, I'm practicing with Mirra [Andreeva] tomorrow. But, yeah, it's pretty stacked. But it's only good, I think it's a very good competition. All women can play tennis here," she added.
Wildcard entry and sixth seed Leylah Fernandez, playing in Singapore for the first time, said the experience already feels surreal.
"I'm extremely excited. It's my very first time here in Singapore and I've heard so many good things about it. So, being here, it feels so surreal. Hopefully, I get to play some good tennis and put on a good show for the crowd," she said.
Fernandez compared the indoor, lit-up setup in Singapore to her experience playing in Stuttgart.
"It actually reminds me a little bit of Stuttgart. You know how it was an indoor tournament on clay with the lights kind of spotlight on the court. And it's just so cool. I absolutely love it because it kind of puts the emphasis on the tennis players and then you kind of hear the crowd on the side. So, it really feels like it's a show, like it's a theater show," she said.
"I grew up in indoors [courts], so hopefully it all goes well. But, you know, it's such a perfect atmosphere for the players and for the fans," she added.