Top five players who have withdrawn from Merida Open 2025

Only two players from the top-10 WTA rankings will feature in the Merida Open 2025.

The Merida Open 2025 Akron is a WTA 500 tennis tournament held on outdoor hard courts as part of the 2025 WTA Tour. Now in its third edition, the Merida Open was upgraded from a WTA 250 event to WTA 500 status and rescheduled to replace the canceled San Diego Open.

With the main draws scheduled to start from February 24, the Mexico event closely follows the Qatar and Dubai Open, and with the Sunshine Double set to commence in March, many notable names are missing from the entry list. None of the top eight WTA seeds would compete in Merida, with ninth-ranked Emma Navarro being the top seed for the event. Paula Badosa, Anna Kalinskaya, and Donna Vekic are some of the renowned players part of the list.

Also Read: Merida Open 2025: Live Streaming, TV Channel, where and how to watch

The heavy workload and minimal gaps between tournaments have forced top seeds to sit out of the WTA-500 event, potentially backfiring as they risk missing out on crucial ranking points. This, however, presents a golden opportunity for participating players to gain valuable points and climb the rankings.

5. Mirra Andreeva

The 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva scripted history at the Dubai Championships as she became the youngest-ever WTA-1000 champion, and stormed into the WTA top-10 rankings after her triumph. Her sensational run in Dubai involved victories over three former Grand Slam winners, including Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Marketa Vondrousova.

Having played the Qatar Open and then the Dubai event, the Russian pulled out of the Merida Open, instead taking this interval to rejoice in her achievement ahead of the Indian Wells.

Also Read: How much did winner Mirra Andreeva earn in prize money at Dubai Tennis Championships 2025?

4. Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina will now compete directly at the Indian Wells 2025. The Kazakh’s Middle East season was a case of so close yet so far. She reached the quarter-finals at the Qatar Open and the semi-finals in Dubai. Despite a spirited effort in the Dubai championships, she fell to Andreeva in the semifinals, squandering a break lead before conceding two consecutive breaks and ultimately losing the match.

3. Coco Gauff

Consecutive opening round exits call for serious introspection for the American No. 1, Coco Gauff. Starting the year leading her nation to a win at the United Cup, Gauff faltered at the Australian Open, as Paula Badosa crushed the American in straight sets. With poor form and a streak of negative results, Gauff rightly withdrew from the event in Mexico as she would aim to regroup and regain her touch ahead of the Indian Wells 2025.

Also Read: Merida Open 2025: All you need to know about prize money and points on offer

2. Aryna Sabalenka

World Number One Aryna Sabalenka started the 2025 calendar year from where she stopped in the previous season, lifting the title in Brisbane. A rare three-peat looked inevitable at the Australian Open 2025 but Madison Key had other ideas, who came out of nowhere and stunned the Belarusian in an epic final.

Since the upset, Sabalenka has struggled to find her usual form on court. She suffered a first-round exit at the Qatar Open, followed by a second-round defeat in Dubai. The 3-time Grand Slam winner admitted to not feeling her best and acknowledged a lack of hunger in her game.

Also Read: Full list of events in WTA calendar 2025

“I believe that I’m not that hungry on court,” said the 26-year-old. “I’m kind of all over the place in my thoughts and not consistent on the court. The decisions I’m making on the court are a bit wrong and emotionally, I’m not at my best”, added the Belarusian.

1. Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek‘s decision not to play the Merida Open is unsurprising, following her criticism about WTA’s hectic schedule. The three-time Qatar Open champion was unable to win her fourth title, losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals. The Pole lost to 17-year-old Andreeva in the Dubai Open quarter-finals.

These defeats hurt the former top seed, as she has always boasted a splendid record in the Middle East but is without a title in 2025 so far. All tournaments have been separated by a handful of days and Swiatek lashed out at WTA for its poor scheduling.

Also Read: Top five WTA players who can bag their maiden title in 2025

“I’m not surprised. It’s a matter of the calendar. We won’t be able to play at a high level for so many years, week after week,” Swiatek said.

“It’s not like it was some time ago when players outside the top twenty were easily defeated. Now anyone can win these tournaments. It’s been like that for a few years now. The calendar doesn’t help. We’re constantly moving between continents. We’re changing surfaces and balls. It’s not easy”, added the Pole, as a non-top 10 player won a WTA -1000 event twice in two weeks.

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