The San Diego Open is an annual women’s professional tennis tournament held in San Diego, California.
San Diego Open
Established in 1971, it is classified as a WTA 500 event, placing it among the premier tournaments on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. The matches are played on outdoor hard courts at the Barnes Tennis Center. It also used to be an ATP event.
WTA History
The San Diego Open, founded in 1971, boasts a rich history in women’s professional tennis.
Initially known as the Virginia Slims of San Diego, the tournament has seen various names and sponsors throughout the years, including the Great American Bank Classic, the Mazda Classic, and the Toshiba Classic.
Despite these changes, it has consistently attracted top players and provided a key warm-up event leading into the US Open.
The tournament has been a showcase for some of the biggest names in women’s tennis, with past champions including Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Maria Sharapova.
Graf holds the record for most singles titles with four, while Venus Williams holds the record for most consecutive titles with three.
The San Diego Open has experienced periods of change and relocation throughout its history.
It moved from the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club to the La Costa Resort and Spa in 1991. In 2014, the tournament was relocated to Tokyo, Japan, before returning to Southern California as the Carlsbad Classic in 2015.
After a brief stint as a WTA Challenger event, the tournament was revived as a WTA 500 event in San Diego in 2022, marking its return to the top tier of women’s tennis.
ATP History
Initially, it was exclusively a women’s tournament, last held as a WTA Challenger event in 2015.
However, in 2021, due to the cancellation of the Asia swing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego was granted a two-year license to host an ATP 250 men’s tournament.
This marked the return of men’s professional tennis to San Diego. Daniel Vallverdu served as the managing director, Ryan Redondo was the tournament director, and Billie Jean King held the position of honorary tournament chairman.
The ATP 250 event ran for two years, featuring top players and contributing to the growth of tennis in the region. With the resumption of the ATP Tour’s Asia swing in 2023, the men’s tournament in San Diego was discontinued.
However, the San Diego Open continues as a WTA 500 event, showcasing top women’s tennis players and maintaining its legacy as a significant tournament on the WTA Tour calendar.