Next week brings a slight breather after the Middle East swing and before the highly anticipated Sunshine Double, which kicks off in the first week of March. However, the WTA Tour will not be short on action, as two hard-court tournaments are set to take place in Mexico and the USA. Merida will host a WTA 500 event, while Austin will welcome the WTA 250 ATX Open.

Top 10 players highlight the strong field in Mexico

Despite being held in a transitional week ahead of one of the most significant swings on the WTA calendar, the Merida Open boasts a highly competitive field. Two top-10 players—Emma Navarro and Paula Badosa—headline the draw, with all eight seeds ranked inside the top 30.

Navarro may face fellow American Sloane Stephens in the second round. The 2017 US Open champion received a wild card into the main draw and will face a qualifier in the first round. Meanwhile, Badosa is set for an intriguing round-of-16 clash against either Jaqueline Cristian or Camila Osorio.

Beatriz Haddad Maia enters as the third seed, while Anna Kalinskaya, who received a late wild card following a disappointing Middle East campaign, is the fourth seed. The top four seeds receive byes in the opening round. Fifth seed Donna Vekic, like Haddad Maia and Kalinskaya, will be looking to bounce back after a slow start to the season. She will face a qualifier in her opening match, as will sixth seed Marta Kostyuk.

Seventh seed Magdalena Frech returns to Mexico with fond memories of her previous success in the country, having claimed her first WTA 500 title in Guadalajara last September. She will begin her campaign against Elina Avanesyan. Rounding out the seeded players, Maria Sakkari—the eighth seed—will face Turkish wild card recipient Zeynep Sonmez.

Pegula tops the draw in Austin

The ATX Open in Austin features an impressive lineup for a WTA 250 event, with Jessica Pegula leading the field as the tournament's top star. The world No. 4 was announced as the tournament's marquee player last year. Initially, Australian Open champion Madison Keys was also expected to participate, but WTA rules prohibit a 250-level tournament from hosting two top-10 players. As a result, Keys had to withdraw following her rise into the top 10 after her Melbourne triumph.

Nonetheless, the draw in Austin remains strong. Diana Shnaider, ranked No. 13 in the world, received a late wild card and enters as the second seed. Third seed Peyton Stearns, who launched her professional WTA career in Austin two years ago, also features prominently. Unlike WTA 500 events, the ATX Open does not grant first-round byes, meaning Pegula will begin her campaign in the opening round against Arantxa Rus. Shnaider will take on a qualifier, while Stearns faces Varvara Gracheva.

Kvitova returns to action

Beyond the top seeds, several intriguing storylines will unfold in Austin. Two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova returns to competition after a maternity break. The Czech, who triumphed in Miami as recently as 2023, will make her comeback against Jodie Burrage in the first round.

Additionally, two players who impressed at last week's WTA 1000 event in Dubai will be ones to watch. Fifth seed McCartney Kessler begins her Austin campaign against Caty McNally, while quarterfinalist Sorana Cirstea faces Laura Siegemund in her opener. If Cirstea advances, she could set up a thrilling second-round encounter against Diana Shnaider.