After this month’s Tokyo Olympics, which will be held without audience, tennis will not return to the Japanese capital in September, as the Toray Pan Pacific Open has been canceled for the second year in a row.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the WTA calendar and once again the fall Asian swing in Japan and China is being wiped off, except for the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, which is still under discussion. The WTA is working to create playing opportunities in other regions and one such effort is the rescheduled BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells which will take place for two weeks in October.
The Toray Pan Pacific Open, established in 1984, announced in a statement:
The Executive Committee, together with WTA, looked at every possible way to make this international tournament happen, by implementing various measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) including the idea of restricting admissions, in order to prioritize the health and safety of everyone involved including players, officials, ball boys and girls, stewards, sponsors and partners, suppliers and contractors, media, guests and all other staff. However, also in consideration of the border enforcement and quarantine measures for those traveling to Japan, the Executive Committee made a heartrending decision that it was best to cancel the tournament.
The WTA 500 tournament is now shifting its focus to make the 2022 event a great success.
