Here is our preview of this week's action in the world of tennis.
Ningbo Open
Perhaps the biggest event taking place this coming week is China's Ningbo Open, where despite the presence of world number one Elena Rybakina, all eyes will be on Iga Swiatek as the Pole battles to qualify for the WTA Finals.
Her straight-sets defeat to eventual champion Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open at the weekend left her 10th in the race to the finals, with just one more spot up for grabs. As a result, she really needs to claim the title in Ningbo to stay in with a chance of heading to Indian Wells next month.
The same can be said about Marta Kostyuk, who sits a place above Swiatek in the race. If neither player triumphs in China, Karolina Muchova will be all but guaranteed to take the final spot.
There's a good chance that they'll have to get past Rybakina if they want to win the title though, and the world number one has plenty to play for herself, battling with Aryna Sabalenka for the honour of ending the year at the top of the rankings.
Having won the US Open just a month ago and being the reigning champion in Ningbo, Rybakina has to be considered the favourite.
Almaty Open
The race to the ATP Finals is much more open, with five spots still up for grabs, and Daniil Medvedev will look to all but seal one in Kazakhstan.
The Russian will almost certainly be at the tournament in Turin if he defends his Almaty title, but doing so won't be easy, with the former US Open champion the top seed in what is a stacked field.
Out to take his title from him are home favourite Alexander Bublik, good friend Andrey Rublev, fellow Russian Karen Khachanov and a resurgent Stefanos Tsitsipas, all of whom have had inconsistent years but are top players on their day.
Heading west on the back of a strong Asian swing and boasting a winning head-to-head record with all of the above players, Medvedev is in with a good chance of winning his fourth title of 2026, but it certainly won't be an easy road to glory for him.
Lyon Open
Many will already be thinking about the final Masters 1000 tournament of the year in Paris, but before that, France is hosting a Lyon Open that promises to have even bigger repercussions than the aforementioned tournaments in the fight for places in the year-end finals.
Headlining the field in Lyon are Flavio Cobolli, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, all of whom are still in with a big chance of competing in Turin next month.
With the year-end event taking place on home turf, Cobolli will be especially motivated to make it there, and he stands a good chance of doing so, currently sitting top of those that don't have a guaranteed spot. Claiming the title in Lyon would most likely give him the points he needs, but he'll need to up his game if he wants to prevail; he's currently on a four-match losing streak.
Things look more precarious for American duo Fritz and Paul, who know that anything other than the title will leave their hopes of qualification looking rather slim. Given their hard-court pedigree though, they're arguably the two favourites.
With Valentin Vacherot, Lorenzo Musetti, Brandon Nakashima, Matteo Berrettini and Stan Wawrinka also playing the tournament, we're likely to be treated to some top tennis.
European Open
A few hundred miles north in Brussels, Arthur Fils will be both the man to beat and the man with the most to play for.
Thanks to the best season of his career, the young Frenchman is currently ranked high enough to reach the finals, and will be very unlikely to drop down enough to miss out if he wins the title in Belgium.
He'll have to contend with some home favourites though, with young talent Alexander Blockx looking to kick on after an impressive run to the last eight at the US Open, and former world number seven David Goffin playing his final tournament on home turf before retiring.
Other threats to Fils include Jiri Lehecka and Botic van de Zandschulp, who beat the Frenchman in Shanghai, while Francisco Cerundolo and Alex Michelsen are also very dangerous when on form.
Japan Women's Open
Back in Asia, those ranked lower down the WTA rankings will be looking to round out their season in style in the Japanese city of Osaka.
Among them is British player Sonny Kartal, who enjoyed the best run of her career in Wuhan, where she defeated numerous top players on her way to the final. Another such run in Osaka would give her her highest ranking ever.
Two players who will very much have their sights set on the title are the American pair of Ann Li and Peyton Stearns, while former world number two Paula Badosa will be dreaming of lifting a trophy for the first time since 2024.
Finley Crebolder has been a news editor for Flashscore since 2023. His specialist areas are Dutch football, Formula 1 and tennis, and being based in London, he can often be found covering sporting events in and around the English capital. You can follow him on X here and read his latest features here.
