Linz 411: Dates, pictures, format, seeds, wild cards and prize money

The WTA Tour Powered by Mercedes-Benz now returns to Europe for the first European clay court tournament at the 2026 Upper Australia Ladies Linz Open.

Celebrating its 35th edition as a stop on the WTA Tour, the tournament enters its third year as a WTA 500 event. Linz will have a team of players in the fan zone to mark the occasion.

From dates to draws and prize money, here’s everything you need to know about the Linz Open:

What are the dates of each cycle?

The main draw from Austria starts on Monday 6 April, with the second and doubles finals taking place on Sunday 12 April. The competition venue is an indoor clay court, using a Dunlop clay court ball. This is the first year this event will be held on clay.

Singles
Eligible: April 5-6
First step: April 6-8
Step two: April 8-9
Finals: April 10th
Make the finals: April 11th
Conclusion: April 12th

Twice
First step: April 6-8
Finals: April 8-9
Make the finals: April 10-11
Conclusion: April 12th

What are the notable draws, top seeds and wild cards?

In Linz, there will be a 28-man draw, with 19 direct entries, four qualifiers, four wild cards and one entry. The top four seeded players will advance to the second round.

World No. 10 Mirra Andreeva — who recently received a career-high 30 ranking — leads the field, followed by defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson, Liudmila Samsononova and 2024 champion Jelena Ostapenko. Karolina Pliskova, who won the Linz title in 2024, will use her protected status to contribute directly to the main draw.

Alexandrala Eala will make her Linz debut and debut on clay this year, while European champions Sorana Cirstea, Jaqueline Cristian and Sara Bejlek are among the other players in the field.

The draw will be announced closer to the start of the tournament, and there will be a 16-team doubleheader in Linz, too.

Full list of Linz players

* The list of players is subject to change

Wild cards: Sinja Kraus, Lilli Tagger

Withdrawal: Emma Raducanu, Emma Navarro, Marketa Vondrousova, Barbora Krejcikova, Antonia Ruzic, Daria Kasatkina

Moved to main section: Katie Boulter, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Julia Grabher, Dalma Galfi, Anastasia Potapova

Who are the protectors of the warriors?

The third time was the charm for Alexandrova, who won the Linz title after finishing twice in the previous six years. She defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in a thriller to win her fifth WTA title and first 500 title.

In a rollercoaster match, Alexandrova built a set and 3-0 lead, before the Ukranian won nine straight games to steal the second set and make it 3-0 before the third. Alexandrova eventually came back to win in two hours and 11 minutes.

Alexandrova is the second-ranked player on the list, but she withdrew from Charleston this week due to a back injury. Currently, he is still scheduled to compete in Linz.

In doubles, fourth seed Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani defeated twins Nadiia Kichenok and Lyudmyla Kichenok 3-6, 7-5, [10-4]. They won seven of the first eight points in the tiebreak, earning their first doubles win. Finally, the season ended as runners-up at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

What factors and income are at stake?

As with all WTA 500 events, 500 ranking points will be available for the PIF WTA rankings and the Race of the WTA Finals in Riyadh. More than €1.04 million ($1.2 million) is available in the prize pool, with the singles champion taking home more than €160,000.

Below is a complete summary of the prize money and ranking information for each of the awards.

Singles (status | salary)
First step: 1 | €11,309
Second step: 60 | €15,690
Last quarter: 108 | €30,495
Finals: 195 | €57,395
Finals: 325 | €99,565
Champion: 500 | €161,310

Double (status | salary amount)
First step: 1 | €5,910
Last quarter: 108 | €9,700
Finals: 195 | €18,890
Finals: 325 | €32,520
Champion: 500 | €53,510