The 2003 Polo Open was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts in Shanghai, China. It was the 5th edition of the China Open, and was a Tier II tournament on the 2003 WTA Tour. The tournament was played between 15 – 21 September 2003. First-seeded Elena Dementieva won the singles title.
| 2003 China Open | |
|---|---|
| Date | 15–21 September 2003 |
| Edition | 5th |
| Category | WTA Tier II |
| Draw | 28S / 16D |
| Prize money | USD $585,000 |
| Surface | Hard, outdoor |
| Location | Shanghai, China |
| Champions | |
| Singles | |
 Elena Dementieva | |
| Doubles | |
 Émilie Loit /  Nicole Pratt | |
The tournament was not part of the 2003 ATP Tour, as no male events took place.
Singles main-draw entrants edit
Seeds edit
| Country | Player | Rank1 | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUS
|
Elena Dementieva | 9 | 1 |
 USA
|
Chanda Rubin | 10 | 2 |
 JPN
|
Ai Sugiyama | 12 | 3 |
 ESP
|
Conchita Martínez | 13 | 4 |
 FR Yugoslavia
|
Jelena Dokic | 21 | 5 |
| AUS
|
Alicia Molik | 38 | 6 |
| FRA
|
Émilie Loit | 41 | 7 |
 ZIM
|
Cara Black | 44 | 8 |
- 1 Rankings are as of 8 September 2003.
Other entrants edit
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:
The following players received entry from the singles qualifying draw:
The following players received entry as lucky losers into the singles main draw:
Doubles main-draw entrants edit
Seeds edit
| Country | Player | Country | Player | Rank1 | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP
|
Conchita Martínez |  INA
|
Angelique Widjaja | 51 | 1 |
| ZIM
|
Cara Black | AUS
|
Alicia Molik | 57 | 2 |
 HUN
|
Petra Mandula |  AUT
|
Barbara Schett | 60 | 3 |
 SUI
|
Emmanuelle Gagliardi | USA
|
Chanda Rubin | 65 | 4 |
- 1 Rankings as of 8 September 2003.
Other entrants edit
The following players received entry from the singles qualifying draw:
The following pairs received entry as lucky losers into the doubles main draw:
Finals edit
Singles edit
Elena Dementieva defeated Chanda Rubin, 6–3, 7–6(8–6)
Doubles edit
Émilie Loit / Nicole Pratt defeated Ai Sugiyama / 
Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6–3, 6–3