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TORAY PAN PACIFIC OPEN
Tour
WTA
Date of event
26 Oct-1 Nov 2026
Location
Tokyo
Surface
Hard outdoor
Website
Singles Title
B Bencic
Doubles Title
T Babos/L Stefani
Level
500
TENN360 INSIGHT:
The Toray Pan Pacific Open has something that money simply can't buy: history.
First held in 1973, it is one of the longest-running tournaments on the women's tour, and its roll call includes some of the biggest names in tennis. But it has never become trapped in the past.
Now played at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, it combines a proper piece of WTA history with one of the most exciting cities in the world.
And that combination is rather hard to beat.
Big women's tennis, Japanese hospitality and Tokyo just outside the gates.
Not bad for a tennis weekend.
For Centre Court, I'd choose a side-on seat as close to the court as your budget allows.
You get a much better appreciation of the speed and movement when you're looking across the court rather than staring down one end.
The great thing about Ariake Coliseum is that it isn't an enormous stadium. You can still feel connected to the court even when you're not sitting in the very front rows.
But here's my real advice:
Don't judge your ticket purely by the Centre Court seating plan.
If getting close to the players matters more to you than having the grandest view, a smaller court can be the better choice.
Sometimes the cheapest ticket produces the best tennis memory.
Very good.
The Ariake Tennis Forest is a serious tennis complex, with practice courts and plenty happening away from the main stadium.
That gives fans more opportunities to see players outside their matches than you would get at a huge stadium-only event.
I'd arrive early, check the practice schedule and then wander.
Don't spend six hours in Centre Court simply because that's where your ticket says you should be.
The best player-access moments often happen when you're not looking for them.
I'd go if you love women's tennis and want to experience a tournament that feels genuinely Japanese rather than simply being an international event happening in Japan.
The Toray Pan Pacific Open has been part of the women's tennis calendar for more than five decades, and that history gives it a character of its own.
I'd also go if you love Tokyo.
Because this is one of those trips where the tennis and the destination complement each other beautifully.
Spend the afternoon watching world-class tennis.
Eat something wonderful afterwards.
Get lost in Tokyo.
Repeat.
I'd arrive early and resist the temptation to head straight for your seat.
The Ariake complex gives you plenty to explore, and practice sessions are part of the fun. Watching the world's best players prepare for a match can sometimes be more interesting than watching the match itself.
I'd also make a point of watching at least one match on one of the smaller courts.
Centre Court is where you get the occasion.
The outside courts are where you get closer to the tennis.
And if you have the choice, I'd seriously consider an evening session.
Tokyo at night is one of those things that makes you realise you probably should have booked a few extra days.
The main stadium has a retractable roof, so Centre Court is not somewhere I'd worry too much about getting caught in the sun.
The outdoor courts are another story.
Tokyo can still be warm and humid in October, and if you're spending several hours moving between courts, you'll get plenty of exposure.
Bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.
Especially if you're the sort of person who says, "I don't need sunscreen, it's October."
Yes, you do.
Your future self will thank you.
Very good.
Ariake Coliseum is in Tokyo's waterfront area and is well connected by the city's public transport network.
The nearest stations include Ariake-Tennis-no-Mori and Kokusai-tenjijo, making the venue relatively straightforward to reach without a car.
And this is Tokyo, so I'd absolutely use public transport.
Driving would be adding a problem to a day that doesn't need one.
Once you're at Ariake, everything is nicely concentrated around the tennis complex.
Which leaves you with only one difficult decision:
Which match do I watch next?
I'd skip it if you want a huge tournament with hundreds of players and endless courts.
This isn't a Grand Slam.
It is a WTA 500, and part of its appeal is that it feels much more manageable.
I'd also skip it if you're looking for the sort of ancient tennis setting where you feel as though the ghosts of champions are sitting beside you.
The tournament has history, absolutely.
But Ariake is a modern venue and Tokyo is very much a modern city.
And, as always, if you are travelling solely to see one player, wait until the draw is known before booking your entire life around it.
Power in Numbers
28
Single Draws
10,000
Centre court seat
49
Courts