The 2024 Japan Championships in Osaka is a WTA 250 event, but the entry list shows the tournament has still attracted some high-profile players.
Running from October 14 to 20, the Japan Championships is one of two WTA tournaments in the country. Tokyo's Japan Open, which has WTA 500 status, is played the week after, from October 21 to 27.
The Japan Championships was first played in 2009. It has been hosted in Osaka, Tokyo, and Hiroshima, before returning to Osaka once again for last year's iteration of the event.
Samantha Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, is the most successful player in the tournament's history. Stosur won the Japan Championships in 2009, 2013, and 2014. Eugenie Bouchard, who recently spoke about her mental health issues, was the runner-up in 2013.
Marion Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon winner, is another notable name that has secured the title in Osaka. Ashlyn Krueger is the defending champion, claiming her maiden WTA title by overcoming Lin Zhu in the final.
However, Krueger is not on the entry list for the 2024 Japan Championships. She could still ask for a wild card, but it seems like the American does not want to return to Osaka to defend her title.
Bianca Andreescu is the only former Grand Slam champion on the entry list. The 2019 US Open winner, who is in Canada's team for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, returned from a severe injury at this year's French Open.
She made the final of the Libema Open in just her second tournament back after months out, finishing as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova. That run, so soon after returning from an extended period out, was among the most impressive of the season.
However, Andreescu struggled during the North American hardcourt season, and she withdrew from the China Open qualifying with a knee injury. Hopefully, the 24-year-old will be fit for the 2024 Japan Championships.
Andreescu's fellow Canadian and former US Open finalist, Leylah Fernandez, is the No. 1 seed on the 2024 Japan Championships entry list. She will be confident of challenging for the title after her results in the closing weeks of 2023 during the Asian swing.
Fernandez defeated Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in one of the most underrated finals of 2023 to secure the Hong Kong Open title. She also reached the Jiangxi Open semifinals. That shows how comfortable Fernandez is playing in Asia.
Amanda Anisimova is another high-profile name on the entry list for the 2024 Japan Championships. The 22-year-old undoubtedly hopes to recapture the form that took her to the Canadian Open final, which she lost to Jessica Pegula in three sets.
The entry list for the tournament in Osaka also features Lulu Sun. She has been one of the breakthrough players this season after surprising runs to the Wimbledon quarterfinals and the Monterrey Open final.
Elise Mertens, Magdalena Frech, who recently won the Guadalajara Open title, and the Citi Open runner-up Marie Bouzkova are other players on the entry list for the 2024 Japan Championships.
| Seed | Player | Entry Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leylah Fernandez | 26 |
| 2 | Magdalena Frech | 32 |
| 3 | Elise Mertens | 33 |
| 4 | Lulu Sun | 41 |
| 5 | Marie Bouzkova | 43 |
| 6 | Veronika Kudermetova | 44 |
| 7 | Amanda Anisimova | 46 |
| 8 | Elina Avanesyan | 49 |
| Xinyu Wang | 52 | |
| Diane Parry | 53 | |
| Viktoriya Tomova | 54 | |
| Elisabetta Cocciaretto | 55 | |
| Clara Burel | 56 | |
| Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | 57 | |
| Moyuka Uchijima | 59 | |
| Katie Volynets | 60 | |
| Camila Osorio | 61 | |
| McCartney Kessler | 64 | |
| Varvara Gracheva | 66 | |
| Clara Tauson | 67 | |
| Bianca Andreescu |