Japan Open (tennis) explained

Rakuten Japan Open
Type:	joint
Founded:	^[1]
Location:	Tokyo, Japan
Venue:	Ariake Coliseum Musashino Forest Sports Plaza (2018)
Surface:	Hard / outdoors (1914–1972, 1976–1977, 1982–2017, 2019–) Clay / outdoors (1973–1975, 1978–1981) Hard / indoors (2018)
Website:	rakutenopen.com
Completed Event:	2023
Men's Singles:	Ben Shelton
Men's Doubles:	Rinky Hijikata Max Purcell
Atp Category:	ATP 500 series / ATP International Series Gold / ATP Championship Series (1990–present) Grand Prix circuit (1973–1989)
Atp Draw:	32S / 24Q / 16D
Atp Prize Money:	US$2,046,340 (2019)
Wta Tier:	Tier III
Wta Draw:	32M / 32Q / 16D
Wta Prize Money:	US$175,000 (2008)

The Japan Open (currently sponsored by Rakuten^[2]) is a men's tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Koto, Tokyo. The historical precursor event, the All-Japan Championships was founded in 1915,^[1] then later became the Japan International Championships.^[1] In 2018, the venue switched to the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza as the Ariake Coliseum was renovated for the tennis events at the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[3] The championship includes men's singles and doubles competitions.

History

The All-Japan Championships was first established in 1915 as a men's only tournament.^[1] In 1924, a women's event was added to the programme. The tournament has been mainly played in Tokyo throughout its long run but has also been staged in other cities such as Osaka in 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939. Following World War II, the event was also known as the Japan International Championships up to the late 1960s. From 1979 until 2008, the Japan Open was a joint tournament for both men and women. This is no longer the case in the aftermath of the Ariake Coliseum hosting another women's professional tournament, the Pan Pacific Open. On the women's side, the Japan Open was held until 2014 on the WTA Tour, and then it was downgraded to a $100,000+H ITF Women's Circuit event. In 2019, the women's event was discontinued. The men's event is part of the ATP Tour 500 series level of tournaments.

Prior to the reorganization of the men's event with the advent of ATP Tour, the Japan Open was known as the Tokyo Outdoor Grand Prix and was part of the Grand Prix tennis tour between 1973 and 1989.

Past finals

Men's singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1915	G.A. Roper	H.C.M. Horne	6–1, 7–5, 9–11, 6–4.
1937		Jiro Yamagishi	7–9, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4.
1968			6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4.
1969	Isao Kobayashi		7–5, 8–6, 6–1.
1970			6–2, 6–3, 7–5.^[4]
1971		Toshiro Sakai	6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2.
1972	Toshiro Sakai		6–3, 6–3
↓  Grand Prix circuit  ↓
1973			6–1, 6–4
1974			3–6, 6–2, 6–3
1975			6–4, 7–5, 6–3
1976			6–3, 6–2
1977			6–2, 6–1
1978			6–3, 6–3
1979			3–6, 7–6, 6–2
1980			3–6, 6–4, 6–0
1981			6–3, 1–6, 7–6
1982			6–2, 2–6, 6–4
1983			7–5, 3–6, 6–1
1984			6–3, 7–5
1985			6–1, 7–6
1986			6–3, 6–1
1987			7–6, 6–4
1988			6–2, 6–2
1989	Stefan Edberg (2)		6–3, 2–6, 6–4
↓  ATP Tour 500  ↓
1990	Stefan Edberg (3)		6–4, 7–5
1991	Stefan Edberg (4)		6–1, 7–5, 6–0
1992			6–4, 6–4, 7–6
1993			6–2, 6–2, 6–2
	Pete Sampras (2)		6–4, 6–2
	Jim Courier (2)		6–3, 6–4
	Pete Sampras (3)		6–4, 7–5
1997			6–2, 3–6, 6–1
1998			6–3, 6–4
1999			7–6^(7–5), 7–5
2000			6–4, 3–6, 6–1
2001			6–4, 6–2
2002			7–6^(8–6), 6–3
2003			7–6^(7–5), 6–2
2004			5–7, 6–1, 6–3
2005			1–6, 7–6^(9–7), 6–4
			6–3, 6–3
			6–1, 6–2
			6–1, 6–4
			6–3, 6–3
			6–1, 7–5
			3–6, 6–2, 6–0
			7–6^(7–5), 3–6, 6–0
			7–6^(7–5), 7–5
	Kei Nishikori (2)		7–6^(7–5), 4–6, 6–4
			6–2, 6–4
			4−6, 6−3, 7−5
			6−3, 7−5
			6–2, 6–4
			6–3, 6–2
2020	No competition (due to COVID-19 pandemic)^[5] ^[6]
2021
			7–6^(7–3), 7–6^(7–2)
			7–5, 6–1

Women's singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1970^[7]		Kathy Harter	6–3, 7–5.
1971		Duk-Hee Lee	9–7, 4–6, 9–7
1972	Kazuko Sawamatsu (2)	Alena Palmeová-West	6–3, 6–0
1973			6–3, 6–4
1974	Maria Bueno	Katja Ebbinghaus	3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1975	Kazuko Sawamatsu (3)	Ann Kiyomura	6–2, 3–6, 6–1
1976			6–1, 6–1
1977	not held
1978		Sonoe Yonezawa	6–4, 6–2
1979			6–1, 3–6, 6–3
1980			6–4, 6–4
1981			2–6, 6–4, 6–1
1982			3–6, 6–4, 6–0
1983			7–5, 6–2
1984			6–4, 6–2
1985			6–3, 6–4
1986			6–2, 6–2
1987			6–2, 6–3
1988			6–3, 7–5
1989			6–4, 6–2
1990			6–3, 6–2
1991			2–6, 6–2, 6–1
1992			7–5, 3–6, 6–3
1993	Kimiko Date (2)		6–1, 6–3
1994	Kimiko Date (3)		7–5, 6–0
1995			7–6, 7–5
1996	Kimiko Date (4)		7–5, 6–4
1997			4–6, 6–4, 6–4
1998	Ai Sugiyama (2)		6–3, 6–3
	Amy Frazier (2)		6–2, 6–2
2000			5–7, 7–5, 6–4
2001			6–3, 6–2
2002			2–6, 6–4, 6–4
2003			2–6, 6–2, 7–6^(7–5)
2004	Maria Sharapova (2)		6–0, 6–1
			7–6^(7–4), 3–2 ret.
2006			2–6, 6–2, 6–2
2007			4–6, 7–6^(9–7), 6–4
			6–2, 3–6, 6–1
2009

Men's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
↓  Grand Prix circuit  ↓
			7–5, 7–5
	not completed due to weather
			7–6, 6–4
			6–4, 6–4
			6–2, 7–6
			6–2, 4–6, 6–1
			3–6, 6–1, 6–1
			6–3, 3–6, 6–4
			3–6, 6–2, 6–1
			6–1, 3–6, 7–6
			6–4, 6–7, 7–6
			6–7, 6–4, 6–3
			7–6, 6–7, 6–3
			6–2, 6–3
			6–4, 7–6
			6–4, 6–7, 6–4
			7–6, 7–6
↓  ATP Tour 500  ↓
			3–6, 6–3, 6–4
			6–4, 5–7, 6–4
			0–6, 7–5, 6–3
			2–6, 6–3, 6–4
			7–5, 6–1
			6–3, 3–6, 7–6
			6–2, 6–3
			2–6, 6–2, 7–6
			6–3, 6–4
			4–3, ret.
			6–4, 6–7, 6–3
			1–6, 7–6, 7–6
			7–6, 6–4
			6–7, 6–3, 7–6
			5–1, ret.
			5–4, 5–4
			6–2, 7–5
			6–4, 6–4
			6–3, 6–4
			6–2, 5–7, [10–8]
			6–3, 6–2
			6–1, 6–4
			6–3, 7–6^(7–5)
			7–6^(7–5), 6–4
			6–3, 6–7^(3–7), [10–5]
			7–6^(7–5), 3–6, [10–7]
			6–2, 7–6^(7–4)
			6–4, 7–6^(7–1)
			6–4, 7–5
			7–6^(9–7), 6–4
2020	no competition (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
2021
			6–4, 3–6, [10–4]
			6–4, 6–1

Women's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1979– 1989	not available
1990			6–0, 3–6, 6–1
1991			6–2, 6–4
1992			5–7, 7–6^(7–5), 6–0
1993			6–2, 4–6, 6–4
1994			6–4, 6–1
1995			6–7, 6–4, 7–6
1996			7–6, 6–7, 6–3
1997			6–4, 6–2
1998			6–3, 4–6, 6–4
			6–3, 6–2
2000			6–1, 6–2
2001			6–2, 6–0
2002			6–4, 4–6, 6–4
2003			7–6^(7–1), 6–0
2004			6–1, 6–4
2005			7–5, 4–6, 6–3
2006			7–6^(7–2), 5–7, 6–2
			1–6, 6–2, [10–6]
			4–6, 7–5, [10–6]
2009

See also

• Pan Pacific Open – women's tournament (since 1973)
• Japan Women's Open – women's tournament (since 2009)

External links

• Official website
• Association of Tennis Professionals tournament profile

35.636°N 139.791°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tournaments: Japan International - Japan Open Championships. The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . Madrid, Spain . 24 September 2023. subscription.
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20140313110134/http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2009051400849 楽天が冠スポンサーに＝テニス・ジャパンオープン
3. News: Gatto . Luigi . ATP 500 of Tokyo to switch venue . 28 September 2018 . Tennis World USA . 11 May 2018.
4. Book: Barrett . John . Tingay . Lance . West . Peter . World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook . 1971 . Queen Anne Press . London, England . 978-0-362-00091-7 . 287. https://archive.org/details/worldoftennis1970000unse_t8h5/page/287/mode/2up . National Tournaments.
5. Web site: 18 June 2020 . 楽天ジャパンオープン2020の開催中止について . 7 July 2022 . Rakuten Japan Open . ja.
6. Web site: 2 July 2021 . 楽天ジャパンオープン2021の開催中止について . 7 July 2022 . Rakuten Japan Open . ja.
7. Book: Barrett . John . Tingay . Lance . West . Peter . World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook . 1971 . Queen Anne Press . London, England . 978-0-362-00091-7 . 287. https://archive.org/details/worldoftennis1970000unse_t8h5/page/287/mode/2up . National Tournaments.