Bencic loves Tokyo: Wins 10th career title at Toray Pan Pacific Open

Belinda Bencic’s Tokyo success story gained a new chapter this weekend. The Swiss star, already an Olympic champion on these very courts, added the Toray Pan Pacific Open crown to her collection with a commanding 6–2 6–3 victory over Czech Linda Noskova. Ten years after losing the Tokyo tournament final to Agnieszka Radwanska, Bencic walked away with her tenth career title in the Japanese city.

The Ariake Colosseum has already been the scene of Bencic’s greatest triumphs. It was here, during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, that she won gold in singles and silver in doubles, etching her name into Swiss sporting history. This time, though the medal color was replaced by a WTA 500 trophy, the feeling was just as golden.

Bencic’s path to the final was anything but easy. Over two exhausting days, she spent 5 hours and 23 minutes on court, battling through consecutive three-set matches against last year’s runner-up Sofia Kenin and Karolina Muchova. Despite the fatigue, her determination never wavered.

In contrast, Noskova’s road was surprisingly light. She advanced to the final after just 35 minutes of actual play across her last two rounds — first when her quarterfinal opponent Anna Kalinskaya retired, then when Elena Rybakina withdrew before their semifinal due to a back injury. Yet, the extra rest didn’t translate into rhythm or sharpness once the final began.

In their first-ever meeting, Bencic’s experience proved decisive against 20-year-old Noskova. The Swiss broke serve three times and impressively saved all 10 break points she faced, closing out the match in one hour and 22 minutes. The fifth seed set the tone with a gritty six-minute hold in the opening game. From there, she controlled the match, breaking twice to take the first set and fending off pressure with composed serving and patience. Noskova hit more winners (28 to 23) but was undone by 37 unforced errors, while Bencic stayed clean with 13.

This win marks Bencic’s second title of 2025 (the first one being Abu Dhabi) and her 10th overall, bringing her record in tour-level finals to 10–10. After beginning the season ranked No. 421 following her maternity leave, the 28-year-old has surged to a live ranking of No. 11. For Noskova, the defeat drops her to 1–5 in career finals.