2025 Japan Open Tokyo WTA Entry List: Osaka, Rybakina, Pegula & more

The 2025 Japan Open in Tokyo could be one of the most important WTA tournaments of the season, and its entry list has been released.

Qinwen Zheng is the defending champion. She defeated the 2020 Australian Open winner, Sofia Kenin, to secure the title, one of many terrific moments from a 2024 season that included becoming an Olympic Gold Medalist.

Zheng returned from a lengthy absence with a severe right elbow injury at the 2025 China Open. While it is great to see her back in action, that injury and the difficult results before that mean her chances of qualifying for the 2025 WTA Finals are slim.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have already booked their places for the year-end finals in Riyadh. If Coco Gauff wins one more match to reach the China Open quarterfinals, she will qualify and defend her title from last year.

Amanda Anisimova, at No. 4 in the race, is also close to qualifying. The Wimbledon and US Open runner-up is not on the Japan Open entry list, but she obviously hopes her appearances at the China Open, Wuhan Open, and Ningbo Open will be enough to make it.

The battle among the remaining players is much closer. Madison Keys, who sits at No. 5 in the race, is not currently on the Japan Open entry list. She also chose not to play at the China Open, which could help her rivals.

Jessica Pegula is among those on the entry list for the event in Tokyo. A close friend of Keys', the 21-year-old recently recounted an uncomfortable experience she had in Shenzhen in a podcast with Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawcyk.

Pegula has a good chance of qualifying for the year-end finals at No. 6. She has been at every iteration since 2022, and her consistency and dedication are usually enough for the American to end the season among the best eight players.

Elena Rybakina currently occupies the final qualifying spot. After a mostly challenging season, she made three consecutive semifinal appearances at the Citi Open, Canadian Open, and Cincinnati Open, helping her move into that position.

However, the Kazakhstani, who is on 3,806 points in the live race, could end the China Open outside the Top 8. If she reaches the semifinals in Beijing, Jasmine Paolini will overtake her, and the Italian is also on the Japan Open entry list.

Naomi Osaka's chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals effectively ended after exiting at the China Open. She is over 1,500 points behind Rybakina. However, the Japan Open remains a significant event for her.

The home hero missed last year's Japan Open and Japan Championships because of an injury. She will want to perform well for the thousands of fans who pay to come and see the country's best tennis player.

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson, who also have a chance of qualifying for the WTA Finals, are also on the entry list, along with Belinda Bencic, Leylah Fernandez, Sofia Kenin, and Victoria Mboko.