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The 2024 Linz Open is one of the two WTA tournaments being held immediately after the conclusion of the Australian Open. It will take place from January 29 to February 4.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was set to headline the tournament, but decided to withdraw. Her departure has left no representative from the top 10 in the draw, but there are still quite a few prominent names in the mix.
Three-time Major champion Angelique Kerber was given a wildcard, along with Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska. Defending champion Anastasia Potapova also returns to defend her crown.
So without any further ado, here'a look at all the relevant details about this edition of the Linz Open:
What is the Linz Open?
The tournament is one of the most well-known indoor hardcourt events on the women's tour. It made its debut back in 1987 as an ITF event, but became a part of the WTA Tour in 1991. It has been a regular fixture on the tennis calendar since then, except for 2022 when it wasn't held.
Since 2009, the tournament was a part of the International series of events, or WTA 250 by today's standards. Starting from this year, it got bumped up to the WTA 500 level.
Plenty of prominent names have won here in the past, including Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Coco Gauff and Petra Kvitova, among others. Ana Ivanovic, Lindsay Davenport, Jana Novotna, Sabine Appelmans and Manuela Maleeva hold the record for most titles here with two.
Venue
The tournament will be held at the Design Center Linz in Linz, Austria.
Players
Ekaterina Alexandrova is the top seed for this edition of the Linz Open. She crashed out in the first round of the Australian Open and will be keen to resume her winning ways here.
Elina Svitolina follows her as the second seed. The Ukrainian finished as the runner-up at the ASB Classic to start the year. She then made it the fourth round of the Australian Open, but had to retire moments into her match due to an injury. If not fully fit, she could potentially skip this tournament too.
Donna Vekic is seeded third here. She was also one of the top players who was bundled out in the first round of the Australian Open. Elise Mertens rounds out the top four seeds. The Belgian will contest the women's doubles final Down Under On Sunday.
Jasmine Paolini, Katie Boulter, Petra Martic and Camila Giorgi are some of the other big names in the fray this week. The main draw will be revealed on Sunday, January 28 at 1:00 p.m. local time.
Schedule
The tournament will begin with the first round matches on Monday, January 29. The second round will commence on Wednesday, January 31 and will conclude the next day.
The quarterfinals, semifinals and the final will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. The women's singles final will start at 2:00 p.m. local time and will be followed by the doubles final.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
The total prize money for the 2024 Linz Open is $922,573, along with a maximum of 500 points for the victor. Here's a breakdown of the ranking points and prize money:
Where to watch
Viewers in the USA and UK can watch the Linz Open live on the following channels and sites:
USA: The official broadcaster in the region is Tennis Channel.
UK: Matches will be telecast on Sky Sports.
