The WTA 250 event at the Japan Championships in Osaka will welcome some great players, and the prize money has been unveiled.
Running from October 14th to 20th, the 2024 Japan Championships is the first stop in Japan during the Asian swing. The first iteration of the tournament was held in 2009 in Osaka.
After moving between different locations throughout its history, the event was brought back to Osaka for 2023. Ashlyn Krueger is the defending champion after winning her maiden title with some blistering tennis.
Former US Open champion Samantha Stosur is the most successful player in the tournament's history. She won the title three times, in 2009, 2013, and 2014, and is the only woman to win the event more than once.
Unsurprisingly, the WTA-500 tournament in Ningbo being held during the same week means more high-profile players, including Jasmine Paolini and Qinwen Zheng, are competing at that tournament.
However, the draw for the 2024 Japan Championships is also strong. The 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who is in Canada's Billie Jean King Cup Finals team, and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin are the two most notable names competing in Osaka.
WTA-250 level tournaments do not offer the same financial rewards as WTA-500, WTA-1000, and Grand Slams, but those who go far at the event will still be impressively rewarded for their efforts.
The 2024 Japan Championships champion will receive $35,250. That is more than players usually get for reaching the quarterfinal of a WTA-500 tournament. The winner is also set to receive 250 ranking points for their efforts.
Zhu Lin was the runner-up to Krueger last year. Whoever repeats that achievement will obtain $20,380 and 163 ranking points for being the second-best player at the tournament being held in Japan.
Last year's semifinalists were Mai Hontama and Xinyu Wang, who reached the semifinal of the Wuhan Open last week. Wang's run in Wuhan included her second victory of the season against the US Open runner-up after also beating her at Wimbledon.
$11,610 and 98 ranking points will be awarded to the defeated semifinalists at this year's Japan Championships. Those points could be the difference between a player finishing in the Top 30 or not.
Anna Kalinskaya and Yulia Putintseva were among the quarterfinalists at the 2023 Japan Championships. This year, the players who achieve that will be rewarded with 54 ranking points and $6,608.
Many of the players in the 2024 Japan championships would be disappointed with only getting one win in the main draw, but those women are still set to receive 30 ranking points and $4,040.
Only a single ranking point is on offer for the players who are defeated in the opening round. However, those 16 players will still have a decent $2,890 added to their bank account for being in the main draw.
WTA-250 tournaments are often overlooked, but they often produce outstanding tennis. Andreescu and Kenin's presence at the event makes a good level at the Japan Championships even more likely.
| Points | Prize Money | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 250 points | $35,250 |
| Finalist | 163 points | $20,830 |
| Semi-finalists | 98 points | $11,610 |
| Quarter-finalists | 54 points | $6,608 |
| 2nd round | 30 points | $4,040 |
| 1st round | 1 point | $2,890 |