Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo the latest WTA event to be cancelled over safety concerns

Both the WTA and ATP cancelled the remaining 2020 tournaments in China last week due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Pan Pacific Open has now followed suit in Japan, with the Hana-Cupid Japan Women's Open, as well as the ATP’s Rakuten Japan Open, also postponed.

"The Executive Committee looked at every possible way to make this tournament happen, including the idea of holding matches without audiences or restricting admissions in order to prioritize the health and safety of everyone involved," organizers said in a comment.

"However, after a series of deliberations, the Executive Committee made a heartrending decision to rule out the postponement, and concluded that the cancelation of the tournament was the best decision in the interest of public health, especially in light of the concern about the second wave of infection spreading in Japan.

“This is the first time that the tournament has been cancelled since it started in 1984. This is a disappointing result not only for tennis players from all over the world who play every year but also for domestic and international tennis fans, but we will do our best to hold and succeed in the main event in 2021.”

Naomi Osaka won her fourth WTA title on home soil when winning last year’s tournament in Osaka.

Its cancellation makes it the 15th WTA event to be removed from the calendar post-French Open, which takes place from September 27 until October 11.