What Is 2015 Japan Women's Open – Doubles

Overview

The 2015 Japan Women's Open – Doubles was a professional tennis tournament held as part of the WTA Tour, specifically categorized under the WTA International series. Played on outdoor hard courts at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, the event attracted a competitive field of doubles teams aiming to earn ranking points and prize money.

This edition marked the seventh iteration of the Japan Women's Open and featured both seeded and unseeded pairs battling through a 16-team draw. The tournament culminated in a tightly contested final that showcased resilience and strong net play from the eventual champions.

• Champions: Shuko Aoyama and Chuang Chia-jung claimed their first title together as a team, winning in three sets with a match tiebreak.
• Final opponents: Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja pushed the match to a deciding match tiebreak after winning the second set.
• Tournament duration: The doubles competition spanned six days, from September 14 to September 20, 2015.
• Surface: The matches were played on outdoor hard courts, typical for WTA events in Asia during the fall season.
• Draw size: The doubles event featured a 16-team bracket, with four pairs seeded based on their WTA rankings.

How It Works

The WTA Japan Women's Open follows standard WTA doubles tournament structure, including seeding, round-robin progression, and knockout stages. Matches are typically best-of-three sets, with a match tiebreak replacing the third set in many International-level events.

• Format: All doubles matches used a best-of-three-sets format, with a 10-point match tiebreak if the score reached one set all.
• Seeding: The top four doubles teams were seeded based on WTA rankings to prevent early matchups between top contenders.
• Scoring: Standard tennis scoring applied, with sets played to six games (win by two), and tiebreaks at 6–6.
• Duration: Matches averaged between 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the competitiveness and number of tiebreaks.
• Prize money: The doubles winners split $9,200 from the overall $250,000 prize pool.
• Ranking points: The champions earned 280 WTA ranking points, crucial for year-end standings and future seeding.

Comparison at a Glance

The following table compares the 2015 Japan Women's Open – Doubles with other WTA International events in the same season:

While prize money and category were consistent across these events, the 2015 Japan Women's Open stood out due to its home-grown victory and the inclusion of multiple Asian players in later rounds, reflecting regional talent development.

Why It Matters

The 2015 Japan Women's Open – Doubles was significant for both the WTA calendar and Japanese tennis, highlighting local success and competitive depth in women’s doubles.

• Historic win: Shuko Aoyama became the first Japanese woman to win the doubles title on home soil since the tournament’s inception in 2009.
• Regional pride: The victory energized Japanese tennis fans and boosted interest in domestic players.
• Partnership impact: Aoyama and Chuang’s win marked a breakthrough for their pairing, leading to more joint entries in future tournaments.
• WTA standings: The 280 ranking points helped both players improve their year-end doubles rankings.
• Path to Grand Slams: Strong performances in events like Tokyo contributed to seeding in larger tournaments, including the Australian Open.
• Development model: The tournament exemplified how WTA International events serve as critical platforms for emerging and veteran doubles specialists.

The 2015 edition reinforced the importance of regional tournaments in shaping careers and fostering international competition in women’s tennis.