Auckland WTA 250 Draw: Gracheva Not Spared, Venus Williams to Face Linette

The first WTA tournament of 2026 starts strong: in Auckland, Varvara Gracheva draws Elina Svitolina, the number 1 seed, right away. Meanwhile, Venus Williams, 45, is preparing for her big comeback outside the United States.

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 03/01/2026 à 07h19

1 min to read

Auckland Barry Monique Bejlek Sara Boulter Katie Cocciaretto Elisabetta Eala Alexandra Grabher Julia Gracheva Varvara Jones Francesca Jovic Iva Kartal Sonay Linette Magda Marcinko Petra Mcnally Caty Navarro Emma Osorio Camila Parks Alycia Seidel Ella Stearns Peyton Stephens Sloane Svitolina Elina Tjen Janice Udvardy Panna Vekic Donna Wang Xinyu Williams Venus Zarazua Renata

The 2026 tennis season is underway! The first draws of the year are being revealed gradually. In New Zealand, it's time for the WTA 250 in Auckland to kick off this January.

The draw took place overnight from Friday to Saturday and did not spare the only French player currently qualified. Indeed, Varvara Gracheva will face Elina Svitolina, the number 1 seed, right from the first round.

Venus Williams to Face Linette for Her Auckland Debut

Another top 15 player, Emma Navarro. The American, the number 2 seed, will start against Francesca Jones. Winner of the 2017 US Open, Sloane Stephens has been invited by the organization and will play against Renata Zarazua.

Young Iva Jovic will face a player from the qualifiers, while Sonay Kartal will be up against Janice Tjen. A great match will also be on the schedule between Donna Vekic and Alexandra Eala.

Finally, Venus Williams also knows her opponent. The 45-year-old player, who will play her first tournament outside the United States since the 2023 Rogers Cup, will have to overcome Magda Linette. Find the complete Auckland tournament draw below.