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The Japan Open (currently sponsored by Rakuten[1]) is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. Held since 1972, the championship includes men’s singles and doubles competitions. Until 2008 it was a joint tournament for both men and women, but since 2008 Ariake Coliseum has hosted another women’s tournament, Toray Pan Pacific Open. On the women’s side the tournament was held since 1979 and had famous champions such as Kimiko Date (4 victories between 1992 and 1996), Ai Sugiyama, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova (twice).
Prior to the advent of the ATP Tour, the Japan Open was known as the Tokyo Outdoor Grand Prix and was part of the Grand Prix tennis tour between 1972 and 1989.
In 2009 the women’s tournament was downgraded to a $100,000+H ITF Women’s Circuit event. In 2010, the women’s event was discontinued.
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