Japan Open - Betting Odds, History and Records

Tournament Details:

Date: 2023.10.16 - 2023.10.22
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Sport: Tennis
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Total Prize Money: $2.178 Million


Japan Open Tennis tournament is the longest-running tennis tournament in Asia. It was founded in the year 1973. The Australian Tennis Player Ken Rosewall won the inaugural edition and defeated his fellow countryman John Newcombe in the final of the 1973 Japan Open Tennis Tournament. The following year, the same two players made it to the final. However, on this occasion, Lady Luck was kinder and more generous to Newcombe, who avenged his previous year's defeat. Since then, the event has been played annually as the only Japanese stop on the ATP tour.

The first women's event was held in 1979, but it was discontinued in 2008 as a separate Women's professional Tennis tournament, Pan Pacific Open, was started.


Naming and Location:

Currently, the tournament is named the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships (Kinoshita Group is the current title sponsor of the event). Between 1973 and 1989, there was no ATP tour, and the tournament was part of the Grand Prix Tennis, named the Tokyo Outdoor Grand Prix.

The tournament is played at Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo. Pan Pacific Open is also played at the same venue.


2022 Winner:

Taylor Fritz won the tournament by beating Frances Tiafoe in the final in two sets.


Category and Courts:

The tournament's current status puts it in the ATP 500 Series Category, and the tournament is played on Hard/ Outdoor courts. Since its inception, it has been played on these courts with transitions in between. Between 1978 and 1981, it switched to Clay Courts, but the tournament soon reverted to the Hard/Outdoor courts. Similarly, the 2018 edition of the tournament was played on Hard/Indoor courts.


Records and Champions:

The record for most men's titles won by a single player is held by the Swedish tennis star Stefan Edberg, who won the 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991 editions of the tournament. Other than him, the American Legend Pete Sampras also won the Japan Open three times.

Another historic occasion in the history of the tournament was when Andy Murray combined with his brother Jamie Murray to win the title in the Men's doubles category. He also won the single's title after beating Rafael Nadal in the final.

In the women's singles category, Kimiko Date has been most successful with four titles. She played five consecutive Japan Open Finals while winning four out of those. Other than her, Maria Sharapova, Amy Frazier, and Ai Sugiyama have won two titles each.


The Big 3 - or The Big 4!

All the big names in the tennis world have come to Tokyo to compete in the Japan Open. The current Big 3, or Big 4 if we count Andy Murray, have all lifted the trophy at the Rakuten Open. Roger Federer won the title in 2005, while Nadal got his hands on the trophy in 2010. Novak Djokovic won the title in 2019.


Rakuten Open 2023:

The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis tournament will be played between October 16th and October 22nd this year.

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