Rybakina and Chwalinska will be favorites in the Tokyo tournament
The final draw of the WTA 500 Tokyo 2026 has been made, and many fans are truly surprised to see Elena Rybakina entered in the tournament. Skipping the last WTA 1000 of the year in Wuhan seems to have given the Kazakh the physical and mental freshness needed to max out what remains of the regular season, although it is quite surprising to see how the world number 1 is willing to compete for two weeks right before the WTA Finals.
Although the Masters tournament will start on November 8 in Indian Wells, it was not expected that Elena Rybakina would enter Tokyo after reaching the finals in Ningbo, and in fact, many believe she could withdraw at the last minute since if she wins the tournament in China, she would virtually secure the number 1 spot by the end of the year.
Naomi Osaka, a great alternative to Rybakina and Chwalinska in the title race
Beyond the Kazakh, the presence of Maja Chwalinska, the newly crowned champion in Wuhan, is very noteworthy as she will try to leverage the confidence gained to continue accumulating wins and closing in on the top-10. Belinda Bencic and Diana Shnaider would be potential rivals for Rybakina and Maja in the semifinals, respectively. Additionally, other contenders for the title will include Elise Mertens, Sorana Cirstea, and Alexandra Eala.
Special mention goes to the presence in the final draw of Naomi Osaka, who will try to be a prophet in her land and will receive huge media attention. She will debut against a very tough opponent, Jasmine Paolini, and could face Chwalinska in a hypothetical quarterfinal match. In short, this WTA 500 Tokyo 2026 promises to be thrilling, with high-level players vying for the title. A week of high-voltage tennis will take place in the Japanese capital, with many uncertainties to resolve.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rybakina y Chwalinska serán favoritas en el torneo de Tokio