
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 crowd
After 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.
Read also
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.
Read also
Draw Japan Open 2025
| Match | ||
| (1) Naomi Osaka (JPN) | vs | (WC) Wakana Sonobe (JPN) |
| Suzan Lamens (NED) | vs | Emiliana Arango (COL) |
| Jaqueline Cristian (ROU) | vs | Qualifier |
| Qualifier | vs | (8) Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) |
| (9) Elise Mertens (BEL) | vs | Cristina Bucsa (ESP) |
| Qualifier | vs | Alexandra Eala (PHI) |
| (13) Maria Sakkari (GRE) | vs | Ashlyn Krueger (USA) |
| (WC) Nao Hibino (JPN) | vs | (6) Olga Danilovic (SRB) |
| (17) Ann Li (USA) | vs | Qualifier |
| Qualifier | vs | Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) |
| Qualifier | vs | Alycia Parks (USA) |
| Hailey Baptiste (USA) | vs | (4) Leylah Fernandez (CAN) |
| (5) Marie Bouzkova (CZE) | vs | (WC) Ena Shibahara (JPN) |
| Viktorija Golubic (SUI) | vs | Bianca Andreescu (CAN) |
| Sorana Cirstea (ROU) | vs | Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) |
| Katie Boulter (GBR) | vs | (2) Linda Noskova (CZE) |
Results Japan Open
First Round
Nao Hibino vs. Olga Danilovic 4-6, 6-1, 2-6
Naomi Osaka vs. Wakana Sonobe 6-0, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea vs. Moyuka Uchijima 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Suzan Lamens vs. Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2
Maria Sakkari vs. Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 3-6, 4-6
Katie Boulter vs. Linda Noskova 7-6, 6-3
Hailey Baptiste vs. Leylah Fernandez 2-6, 5-7
Jaqueline Cristian vs. Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-2, 7-6
Ann Li vs. Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-0
Joanna Garland vs. Rebecca Sramkova 3-6, 1-6
Viktorija Golubic vs. Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Dalma Galfi vs. Alycia Parks 6-4, 6-4
Katie Volynets vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 2-6, 4-6
Marie Bouzkova vs Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-1
Tereza Valentova vs. Alexandra Eala 6-1, 6-2
Elise Mertens vs. Cristina Bucsa 7-6, 6-3
Second Round
Jaqueline Cristian vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 0-6, 6-4, 6-2
Ashlyn Krueger vs. Olga Danilovic 4-6, 4-6
Naomi Osaka vs. Suzan Lamens 7-6, 3-6, 6-2
Sorana Cirstea vs. Katie Boulter 6-3, 6-1
Ann Li vs. Rebecca Sramkova 2-6, 6-3, 3-6
Dalma Galfi vs. Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 4-6
Elise Mertens vs. Tereza Valentova 4-6, 1-6
Marie Bouzkova vs. Viktorija Golubic 6-1, 2-6, 6-7
Quarter-Finals
Rebecca Sramkova vs. Leylah Fernandez 6-7, 3-6
Naomi Osaka vs. Jaqueline Cristian RET
Viktorija Golubic vs. Sorana Cirstea 2-6, 6-2, 2-6
Tereza Valentova vs. Olga Danilovic 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Semi-Finals
Leylah Fernandez vs. Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
Jaqueline Cristian vs. Tereza Valentova 7-6, 4-6, 3-6
Final
Tereza Valentova vs Leylah Fernandez 0-6, 7-5, 3-6
Prize Money
| Round | Ranking Points | Prize Money (USD) |
| Winner | 500 points | $164,000 |
| Finalist | 325 points | $101,000 |
| Semi-finalists | 195 points | $59,005 |
| Quarter-finalists | 108 points | $31,100 |
| 2nd Round | 60 points | $15,825 |
| 1st Round | 1 point | $11,300 |
Predictions
Samuel Gill, Head Editor of TennisUpToDate.com sees Naomi Osaka as champion following on from her recent success.
After reaching the final of the Canadian Open, it has not been as plain sailing for Naomi Osaka but I see her turning that around.
Also see a good week for Linda Noskova after her recent success. Leylah Fernandez is also a dark horse as she always is this time of year.
Overall it will likely be a good tournament this week with Ningbo also losing most of their top name players.
Favourites
*** Naomi Osaka
** Linda Noskova, Leylah Fernandez
Entry List Japan Open 2025
| Pos | Player | Rank |
| 1 | NAOMI OSAKA (JPN) | 14 |
| 2 | ELISE MERTENS (BEL) | 22 |
| 3 | LEYLAH FERNANDEZ (CAN) | 28 |
| 4 | LINDA NOSKOVA (CZE) | 29 |
| 5 | IVA JOVIC (USA) | 36 |
| 6 | REBECCA SRAMKOVA (SVK) | 40 |
| 7 | JAQUELINE CRISTIAN (ROU) | 41 |
| 8 | OLGA DANILOVIC (SRB) | 42 |
| 9 | ASHLYN KRUEGER (USA) | 45 |
| 10 | ANN LI (USA) | 48 |
| 11 | LOIS BOISSON (FRA) | 49 |
| 12 | HAILEY BAPTISTE (USA) | 50 |
| 13 | JESSICA BOUZAS MANEIRO (ESP) | 51 |
| 14 | EMILIANA ARANGO (COL) | 53 |
| 15 | MARIE BOUZKOVA (CZE) | 54 |
| 16 | KATIE BOULTER (GBR) | 55 |
| 17 | MARIA SAKKARI (GRE) | 56 |
| 18 | ALEXANDRA EALA (PHI) | 57 |
| 19 | ALYCIA PARKS (USA) | 59 |
| 20 | PEYTON STEARNS (USA) | 60 |
| 21 | CRISTINA BUCSA (ESP) | 63 |
When is the draw for Japan Open?
The draw will be confirmed a few days before the start of the tournament on October 13.
When is the schedule for Japan Open?
The schedule will be set in the days after the draw following the conclusion of qualifying.
Read also
Prize Money
Winner - $36,300
Finalist - $21,484
Semi-Finals - $11,970
Quarter-Finalists - $6,820
Second round - $4,470
First round - $3,110
Predictions
Samuel Gill, Head Editor of TennisUpToDate.com sees Naomi Osaka as being the winner this week with Iva Jovic also up there.
Naomi Osaka I see getting more confidence with a title. She reached the final of the Canadian Open and returning home will spur her on to victory here in a weakened field.
Linda Noskova I also see continuing her run from previous weeks with Maria Sakkari also likely to get a bit of a confidence booster.
Iva Jovic also was a recent title winner so see her also having a good week in Japan.
Favourites
*** Naomi Osaka
** Linda Noskova, Maria Sakkari
* Iva Jovic, Katie Boulter, Lois Boisson
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
mandoist12-11-2026 - Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.
mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026









