The number one woman player, Hou Yifan, who won the first three editions of the Grand Prix, was unable to play due to studies at Oxford University.
[2] R Due to travel restrictions on Chinese citizens due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Zhao Xue was unable to participate in the Lausanne leg of the Grand Prix.
[3] For the Gibraltar WGP, Koneru, Ju, Zhao and Sebag were replaced by Zhansaya Abdumalik, Dinara Saduakassova, Irina Bulmaga and Gunay Mammadzada.
The fourth stage of the Grand Prix, initially planned from 2 to 15 May 2020 in Sardinia, was postponed by FIDE due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
FIDE announced that the fourth stop of the Women Grand Prix was to be held in Gibraltar on January 17–29, 2021,[5] but it was then postponed again[6] to 22 May to 2 June 2021.