In Pictures: Leylah Fernandez, Simona Halep, Katie Boulter & other WTA stars turn heads in dazzling outfits at Hong Kong Open player party
Simona Halep, Katie Boulter, and Leylah Fernandez were among several WTA stars who turned heads at the 2024 Hong Open player party. Many WTA stars posed in a designated spot with the tournament’s branding in the background.
The WTA 250 event in Hong Kong hosted a player party on Sunday, October 27. The top WTA stars attended the event in dazzling outfits and the WTA's official Instagram account posted several images of the players. Each of them posed in front of the event's branding with a hand-fan.
Halep, who recently played the WTA 125 event in Hong Kong, was dressed elegantly in a simple, fitted pink dress. She accessorized with a small black handbag and an orange wristband. She held an ornate pink fan with gold detailing.
Britain's No. 1 Katie Boulter wore a sleeveless black top with vertical pinstripes paired with black pants, creating a chic look. She held a large, traditional fan with black calligraphy and artistic designs.
Canada's No. 1 Leylah Fernandez was dressed in a vibrant, red traditional Chinese jacket adorned with intricate patterns giving her a festive look. She also held a fan similar to Boulter.
The other stars at the event included Sabrina Santamaria, Diana Shnaider, Tereza Mihalikova, Yue Yuan, Makoto Ninomiya, and Anastasia Detiuc. Also looking glamorous was Hong Kong Open tournament director Li Na.
Leylah Fernandez, Simona Halep, and Katie Boulter's Hong Kong Open 2024 1R clashes
After an initial four-year doping suspension was reduced to nine months for Simona Halep, she returned to the WTA Tour earlier this year at the Miami Open. The Romanian faced a first-round loss to Paula Badosa in March and took a long hiatus before playing two second-tier Challenger events in the past weeks.
She returned to tour-level competition at the Hong Kong Open but faced a 3-6, 3-6 defeat to China's Yung Yae on Monday, October 28.
"My level was not bad at all but the opponent played really well and had confidence," said Halep after her loss (via BBC). "I'm not happy with the way I played but it was much better than the previous match."
Meanwhile, second seed Katie Boulter and third seed Leylah Fernandez will begin their campaigns on Tuesday, October 29. Boulter will take on the in-form Aoi Ito. The 20-year-old is fresh off a semifinal run at the Japan Open. This will be the first encounter between the pair on tour.
Fernandez will take on Britain's Heather Watson. This will be the fourth battle between the pair and the Brit leads the head-to-head 3-0.