WTA's Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo falls off the calendar

The Toray Pan Pacific Open women's tennis tournament, cuya celebration was scheduled for next November in Tokyo, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, announced Tuesday the organizers.

This tournament, which is part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) circuit, is the third of those organized in Japan to be suspended this year due to the pandemic, after the cancellation of the Rakuten Cup men's championship and the female Hana-Cupid. Those responsible for the Pan Pacific Open “have looked for all the options for the tournament to take place, including holding matches without an audience and restricting the entry of spectators, with a view to prioritizing the health and safety of all participants, “they said in a statement.

However, the organizers finally decided cancel the tournament considering it was “the best decision in the interest of public health, especially given the concern about a possible second wave of infections in Japan, “they explained.

The Pan Pacific Open has been held annually since its first edition in 1984. The last tennis player to lift the trophy was the Japanese Naomi Osaka, who won the 2019 edition of the Pan Pacific, held in the city of Osaka.