Defending champion Lydia Ko confirmed for 2022 Aramco Saudi Ladies International in Jeddah

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is set to defend her Saudi Ladies International title in Jeddah. (LET)
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Updated 02 March 2022
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Defending champion Lydia Ko confirmed for 2022 Aramco Saudi Ladies International in Jeddah

  • $1m Ladies European Tour event presented by PIF runs from March 17-20
  • City will also host Aramco Team Series in November

The Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund is returning for 2022, with a new date and the biggest early-season purse in what will be a record-breaking year for the Ladies European Tour.

The groundbreaking event will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City from March 17-20.

It returns with a $1 million prize purse and a superstar field led by defending champion, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.

Major winners Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hall are also KAEC-bound, as are Solheim Cup stars Carlota Ciganda and Bronte Law, past LET winners Marianne Skarpnord, Olivia Cowan, Pauline Roussin Bouchard, Steph Kyriacou and Anne van Dam, and the tournament’s debut 2020 champion, Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark.

The new date means the Aramco Saudi Ladies International now occupies a far earlier spot on the LET calendar, taking place eight months sooner than usual in a season shake-up that will see the tour visit the Kingdom twice, with the second being for the Aramco Team Series – Jeddah event in November.

With the Aramco Saudi Ladies International and Aramco Team Series expanding to five individual $1 million events in 2022, this year will mark a record season for the Ladies European Tour, where its biggest ever pool of prize money will be up for grabs.

“It’s great to be heading back to Saudi Arabia for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, and much earlier in our schedule,” Alexandra Armas, Ladies European Tour CEO, said.

“There’s no question that every event we’ve had to date at Royal Greens has been a huge success. The Saudi Ladies International is a week all our players look forward to enormously, with the quality of field and prize money adding an extra edge to what is a stunning course and venue for elite tournament golf.

“We also feel the impact of our members playing in Saudi Arabia and the good that’s doing for women’s golf,” Armas added. “We all have fond memories of our landmark first event in 2020 which inspired more than 1,000 Saudi women and girls to sign up to learn the game for the first time over the tournament weekend. We are very proud and encouraged about what has been achieved so far and are motivated to continue inspiring more women and young girls into the game.”

Five-time LET tournament champion Marianne Skarpnord has played in both Aramco Saudi Ladies International events to date. The Norwegian was also the individual winner in the debut Aramco Team Series event in London last year, another Golf Saudi-backed initiative.

“When the Saudi Ladies International first got added to the LET calendar two years ago, it was a big moment for us as players as it was a huge investment in the women’s game at a time when we really needed it,” she said.

“The events have since proved to be some of the very best on tour, with Royal Greens a spectacular place to play golf, so we all now look forward to them for so many reasons. Bring on this month, and November.”

Majed Al-Sorour, deputy chairman and CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: “We are thrilled to be once again inviting the best golfers in the world here to King Abdullah Economic City to compete in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF.

“Our ambition with all our flagship golf events is to elevate the game on a global scale and to inspire what we see as being the first generation of homegrown golfers in Saudi Arabia. Both Saudi Ladies Internationals to date have been incredible and helped to take women’s golf to that next level, while having a direct impact on golf on the ground level here in Saudi Arabia.”


Eala eyes first WTA 500 title at site of career breakthrough

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Eala eyes first WTA 500 title at site of career breakthrough

  • The rising star faces wildcard Zeynep Sonmez in opening round as she targets milestone season

ABU DHABI: Alexandra Eala returns to the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open this week carrying momentum, confidence and the chance to make history at the tournament that first launched her onto the WTA 500 stage.

The 20-year-old Filipino star faces wildcard Zeynep Sonmez on Monday evening at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City, marking a full-circle moment in one of tennis’ most compelling breakthrough journeys.

Eala arrived in Abu Dhabi two years ago ranked outside the world’s top 180, marking both her WTA 500 and UAE debut. She returns in 2026 as a Top 50 player — the first Filipina to achieve the milestone — following a remarkable rise that has made her one of the sport’s fastest-growing talents.

“I still remember my match here — I played Magdalena Fręch — and it was such a great learning experience for me,” Eala said as she reflected on her 2024 Abu Dhabi debut. “I think that was my first time in the UAE. A lot of new experiences, and I’ve grown a lot since then. So, let’s see how this year pans out.”

Eala’s ascent gathered pace during a career-defining 2025 campaign that saw her develop from a promising contender into a genuine tour threat. Beginning the season ranked No. 147, she battled through qualifying events and WTA 125 tournaments before delivering a stunning breakout performance at the Miami Open.

Competing as a wildcard, she defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys, and world No. 2 Iga Swiątek in consecutive matches. The historic run made Eala the first Filipino to defeat a Top 10 player, the first to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal, and the first wildcard in WTA history to defeat three Grand Slam champions in a single tournament.

“I think there are quite prominent differences in all aspects of my game,” said Eala, when asked about her evolution. “But more than that, I think it’s just the maturity of everything — how I approach things on court. Physically I’m more mature, a little stronger. It’s well-rounded growth.”

That maturity became a defining feature of her season. At the US Open, Eala rallied from a set down to defeat 14th seed Clara Tauson, becoming the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles match in the Open Era. She also captured her maiden WTA 125 title in Guadalajara after recovering from a 1-6 opening set deficit, underlining the composure that has become central to her game.

Now back on the hard courts of Zayed Sports City — a surface that has produced some of her biggest career moments — Eala has another opportunity to break new ground. No Filipino player has ever captured a WTA 500 title.

“It would mean the world — and not just as a Filipino, but just as me,” Eala said when asked about the possibility of becoming the first from her country to win a WTA 500 tournament. “It would just mean so much for my personal growth and my personal journey.”

Eala’s return has already sparked excitement among the UAE’s sizeable Filipino community, with supporters gathering at Zayed Sports City during her media appearances on Sunday.

The rising star, now one of the Philippines’ most recognizable sporting figures with more than 869,000 Instagram followers, acknowledged the expectations that come with representing her country on the global stage.

“I want to say it’s business as usual, but, you know, it’s inevitable — with a lot of eyes on you, you’ll feel some pressure,” Eala explained. “But the thing is, all players feel pressure, and you just have to learn how to deal with it. And I think I’ve been doing pretty well so far.”

Victory against Sonmez would secure Eala a place in the second round of a tournament that has already played a pivotal role in her career — and potentially set the stage for another landmark achievement.

The match is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2, not before 5 p.m. local time.