The 2025 Japan Open is set to take place at the Utsubo Tennis Center in Osaka, Japan from October 13-19, as the Asian swing approaches its conclusion.
A WTA 250 event, the Japan Open became a women’s-only event for the first time in 2009. Previous champions include 2011 US Open titlist Sam Stosur, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and crafty veteran Su-Wei Hsieh.
The Japan Open will feature a 32-player singles field, in addition to 16 doubles teams. The tournament went on a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, but returned to the WTA tour in 2023, with American Ashlynn Krueger winning the title.
The 2024 edition saw Suzan Lamens leave Osaka with the title. The Dutch star defeated Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in the final, recording a straight sets victory to claim her maiden WTA title.
Former Grand Slam champion set to compete in front of home crowdAfter a semifinal run at the 2025 US Open, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will look to keep her momentum going at the Japan Open. The former World No.1 will have the support of home fans, as she aims to win her first WTA-level title since giving birth to her daughter in 2023.
Osaka will be joined by 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, who has seen her ranking plummet over the past few weeks. The Canadian won the DC Open in July, but has failed to make it past the round of 16 at any event since her triumph in Washington.
Rising American star Iva Jovic is also slated to compete in Osaka. The 17-year old is coming off the biggest win of her career after lifting the title in Guadalajara last week. Jovic will hope to prove that her victory was well-earned and more than just happenstance.
Belgian veteran Elise Mertens is the second seed at the event. She will be joined by Czech star Linda Noskova and former Japan Open champion Ashlynn Krueger, who will hope to replicate her success from 2023. Below is the list of entrants.
PosPlayerRank1NAOMI OSAKA (JPN)142ELISE MERTENS (BEL)223LEYLAH FERNANDEZ (CAN)284LINDA NOSKOVA (CZE)295IVA JOVIC (USA)366REBECCA SRAMKOVA (SVK)407JAQUELINE CRISTIAN (ROU)418OLGA DANILOVIC (SRB)429ASHLYN KRUEGER (USA)4510ANN LI (USA)4811LOIS BOISSON (FRA)4912HAILEY BAPTISTE (USA)5013JESSICA BOUZAS MANEIRO (ESP)5114EMILIANA ARANGO (COL)5315MARIE BOUZKOVA (CZE)5416KATIE BOULTER (GBR)5517MARIA SAKKARI (GRE)5618ALEXANDRA EALA (PHI)5719ALYCIA PARKS (USA)5920PEYTON STEARNS (USA)6021CRISTINA BUCSA (ESP)63
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