Vacations and family reunions are just around the corner, but some of the world's top female tennis players have put those plans on hold in order to compete in the final tournament of a grueling season in Zhuhai. 

On the heels of last week's WTA Finals in Singapore, the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, presents a tough challenge. 

The tournament, which opens on Tuesday, has attracted 12 of the world's top players, including 11 ranked in top 30. 

The lineup includes multiple Grand Slam winner Venus Williams and former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki, as well as homegrown wildcard Zheng Saisai. 

They will compete for a total purse of $2.15 million and the winner's 700 ranking points. 

Even as the holiday season beckons, the players are adamant about approaching Zhuhai with the same focus as other premier tournaments around the globe. 

"It's tough (to remain focused) after a long year. Probably everyone is tired and starting to think about holidays," Italian veteran Roberta Vinci said on Monday. 

"But you have to think it's the last chance to get good results and (rankings) points," 

Williams echoed that sentiment, opining that the benefits of one more tournament at the end of the season far outweigh the negatives. 

"It is really a great opportunity for us here," said the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion from the United States. 

"The draw is really deep and intense. Everybody is equally matched and there is no easy match. Perhaps the season is one week longer, but I am excited to be here." 

The Zhuhai tournament features a four-group round-robin format in the preliminary phase, with the winners of each group advancing to the semifinals. The final will be played on Nov 8. 

As the lowest ranked player, China's world No 76 Zheng believes she has a great opportunity to improve her game with matches against Americans Williams and Madison Keys in Group A. 

"Being awarded a wildcard entry is really a bonus for me," said the 21-year-old, who has become the highest ranked Chinese on the WTA Tour since the retirement of Li Na last year. 

"I won't think about the result and will just enjoy and learn from the experience of playing against Venus to gauge my progress." 

Second seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain is in Group B with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and German ace Andrea Petkovic, while rising Czech star Karolina Pliskova will be tested by Serbian former No 1 Jelena Jankovic and Italy's Sara Errani in Group C. 

Wozniacki is drawn with US Open finalist Vinci and former major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in Group D.