A Star-Studded Field Takes Shape in Tokyo
The 52nd edition of the Pan Pacific Open gets underway on Monday, October 26 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, wrapping up on November 1. As the final WTA 500 event of the 2026 season, the stakes could not be higher for players hunting late-season ranking points. Six notable names, including Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula, have withdrawn, leaving a 28-player field headlined by eight seeds. Top seed Elena Rybakina, the world number one and the only top-10 player in the draw, receives a first-round bye before facing either Maria Sakkari or a qualifier in round two. Her projected path then leads through fifth seed Elise Mertens in the quarter-finals and defending champion Belinda Bencic in the semi-finals, setting up a potentially spectacular final stretch for the three-time Grand Slam winner.
Bencic, who defeated Linda Noskova in last year's final, opens her title defense against either Ann Li or Ekaterina Alexandrova and could meet sixth seed Sorana Cirstea in the quarter-finals.
Chwalinska, Osaka, and Eala Battle in the Bottom Half
Second seed Maja Chwalinska arrives in Tokyo with serious momentum after winning the Wuhan Open last week. She faces Wang Xinyu or a qualifier in round one, with a potential quarter-final against either Naomi Osaka or Jasmine Paolini looming. That Osaka-Paolini first-round clash alone is worth the price of admission.
Eighth seed Alex Eala draws 17-year-old British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic, ranked 308th in the world, making for a manageable opener. The Filipino star could then collide with third seed Diana Shnaider in the quarter-finals, a rematch after losing to her at the Ningbo Open this week. TennisDraw bracket builders have been leaning heavily on Rybakina and Chwalinska as their finalists to watch in Tokyo.
