Southern California Open

The Southern California Open, currently known as the San Diego Open, is a WTA 500 tournament held at the Barnes Tennis Centre in San Diego, California. The event originated as the Southern California Championships that ran from 1887 until 1978.

San Diego Open
Tournament information
Founded1971
LocationSan Diego, California
United States
VenueLa Costa Resort and Spa (2004–2015)
Barnes Tennis Center (2021–present)
CategoryWTA Tier I
(2004–2007)
WTA Premier
(2010–2013)
WTA 125K series
(2015)
ATP 250
(2021–2022)
WTA 500
(2022–)
SurfaceHardcourt / Outdoor
Draw28S / 24SQ / 16D
Prize money$780,637 (women)
Current champions (2023)
Women's singlesCzech Republic Barbora Krejčíková
Women's doublesCzech Republic Barbora Krejčíková
Czech Republic Kateřina Siniaková

ATP tournament history

The San Diego Open was an ATP 250 tournament held at the Barnes Tennis Centre in San Diego, California. In August 2021, after the cancellation of the Asia Swing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Barnes Tennis Centre San Diego was allocated a two-year 250 tournament license. Prior to that, it was exclusively a WTA event which was last held as a WTA Challenger in 2015 at Carlsbad.

Daniel Vallverdu took on the position of managing director, Ryan Redondo was named the tournament director and Billie Jean King accepted the role of honorary tournament chairman.

With the ATP Tour returning to China in 2023, the tournament's men's event ceased.

WTA tournament history

The event was formed in 1984 by Raquel Giscafré as the Ginny of San Diego.[1][2] Prior to this there had been two previous women's tennis tournaments in San Diego: a Virginia Slims event in 1971 and the Wells Fargo Open, which ran from 1979 to 1982. Giscafre's former doubles partner, Jane Stratton, attained co-ownership of the tournament from 1986 until the event's cessation. The tournament has had various principal sponsors throughout its history, and has been played under the headings of the Great American Bank Classic, the Mazda Classic and the Toshiba Classic. The tournament was known for its strong player fields, location in the hills and atmosphere.

Although the tournament achieved Tier-I status only in 2004, it became a draw to the heavyweights in women's tennis since its inception in the 1980s, being a crucial warm-up tournament leading to the US Open. Past champions of the tournament include former world No.-1s Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Maria Sharapova. Six players won the tournament more than once, four of them consecutively. Graf holds the record for most wins (4); Venus Williams holds the record for most consecutive titles (3).

The tournament's purse doubled to $200,000 in 1989, when the sponsor changed to San Diego-based Great American Bank from Virginia Slims, a cigarette brand owned by Philip Morris.[3] The tournament moved from the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club to the La Costa Resort and Spa in 1991, when the sponsor was changed to Mazda from Great American, which was in financial decline.[4] On September 7, 2009, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced the return of professional women's tennis to San Diego in 2010, under the sponsorship of Mercury Insurance. The Mercury Insurance Open was renamed the Southern California Open starting in 2013.

In 2014, the event was relocated to Tokyo, Japan.[5]

The tournament became the Carlsbad Classic in 2015, hosted by the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, California, from November 23–29.[6] As a WTA Challenger event, the Carlsbad Classic[7] featured a 32-player singles main draw, an 8-player qualifying draw, and an 8-team doubles draw with $125,000 in prize money. It was the first WTA tournament held during Thanksgiving week.

The tournament returned to the WTA Tour as a WTA 500 event in 2022.

Sponsor history:

  • Virginia Slims of San Diego: 1971, 1985–1988
  • Wells Fargo Open: 1979–1982
  • Ginny of San Diego: 1984
  • Great American Bank Classic: 1989–1990
  • Mazda Classic: 1991–1993
  • Toshiba Classic; 1994–1998
  • TIG Classic: 1999
  • Acura Classic: 2000–2007
  • Mercury Insurance Open: 2010–2012
  • Southern California Open: 2013
  • GoMacro: 2015

Past finals

Men's singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score
2021Norway Casper RuudUnited Kingdom Cameron Norrie6–0, 6–2
2022United States Brandon NakashimaUnited States Marcos Giron6–4, 6–4

Prior tournaments in San Diego area

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1971United States Billie Jean KingUnited States Rosemary Casals3–6, 7–5, 6–1
Year Champion Runner-up Score
1979United States Tracy AustinUnited States Martina Navratilova6–4, 6–2
1980United States Tracy Austin (2)Australia Wendy Turnbull6–1, 6–3
1981United States Tracy Austin (3)United States Pam Shriver6–2, 5–7, 6–2
1982United States Tracy Austin (4)United States Kathy Rinaldi7–6, 6–3

Subsequent and current organized event

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1984United States Debbie SpenceUnited States Betsy Nagelsen6–3, 6–7(3–7), 6–4
1985United Kingdom Annabel CroftAustralia Wendy Turnbull6–0, 7–6(7–5)
1986United States Melissa GurneyUnited States Stephanie Rehe6–2, 6–4
1987Italy Raffaella ReggiAustralia Anne Minter6–0, 6–4
1988United States Stephanie ReheUnited States Ann Grossman6–1, 6–1
1989West Germany Steffi GrafUnited States Zina Garrison6–4, 7–5
 Tier III tournament 
1990West Germany Steffi Graf (2)Switzerland Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière6–3, 6–2
1991United States Jennifer CapriatiSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles4–6, 6–1, 7–6(7–2)
1992United States Jennifer Capriati (2)Spain Conchita Martínez6–3, 6–2
 Tier II tournament 
1993Germany Steffi Graf (3)Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario6–4, 4–6, 6–1
1994Germany Steffi Graf (4)Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario6–2, 6–1
1995Spain Conchita MartínezUnited States Lisa Raymond6–2, 6–0
1996Japan Kimiko DateSpain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario3–6, 6–3, 6–0
1997Switzerland Martina HingisUnited States Monica Seles7–6(7–4), 6–4
1998United States Lindsay DavenportFrance Mary Pierce6–3, 6–1
1999Switzerland Martina Hingis (2)United States Venus Williams6–4, 6–0
2000United States Venus WilliamsUnited States Monica Seles6–0, 6–7(3–7), 6–2
2001United States Venus Williams (2)United States Monica Seles6–2, 6–3
2002United States Venus Williams (3)Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jelena Dokić6–2, 6–2
2003Belgium Justine HeninBelgium Kim Clijsters3–6, 6–2, 6–3
  Tier I tournament  
2004United States Lindsay Davenport (2)Russia Anastasia Myskina6–1, 6–1
2005France Mary PierceJapan Ai Sugiyama6–0, 6–3
2006Russia Maria SharapovaBelgium Kim Clijsters7–5, 7–5
2007Russia Maria Sharapova (2)Switzerland Patty Schnyder6–2, 3–6, 6–0
2008–2009not held
  Premier tournament  
2010Russia Svetlana KuznetsovaPoland Agnieszka Radwańska6–4, 6–7(7–9), 6–3
2011Poland Agnieszka RadwańskaRussia Vera Zvonareva6–3, 6–4
2012Slovakia Dominika CibulkováFrance Marion Bartoli6–1, 7–5
2013Australia Samantha StosurBelarus Victoria Azarenka6–2, 6–3
2014not held
  WTA 125 tournament  
2015Belgium Yanina WickmayerUnited States Nicole Gibbs6–3, 7–6(7–4)
2016–21not held
  WTA 500 tournament  
2022Poland Iga ŚwiątekCroatia Donna Vekić6–3, 3–6, 6–0
2023Czech Republic Barbora KrejčíkováUnited States Sofia Kenin6–4, 2–6, 6–4

Men's doubles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
2021United Kingdom Joe Salisbury
United Kingdom Neal Skupski
Australia John Peers
Slovakia Filip Polášek
7–6(7–2), 3–6, [10–5]
2022United States Nathaniel Lammons
United States Jackson Withrow
Australia Jason Kubler
Australia Luke Saville
7–6(7–5), 6–2

Prior

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1971United States Rosemary Casals
United States Billie Jean King
France Françoise Dürr
Australia Judy Tegart Dalton
6–7, 6–2, 6–3
Year Champions Runners-up Score
1979United States Rosemary Casals (2)
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Betty Ann Grubb Stuart
United States Ann Kiyomura
3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1980United States Tracy Austin
United States Ann Kiyomura
United States Rosemary Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1981United States Kathy Jordan
United States Candy Reynolds
United States Rosemary Casals
United States Pam Shriver
6–1, 2–6, 6–4
1982 United States Kathy Jordan (2)
United States Paula Smith
Brazil Patricia Medrado
Brazil Cláudia Monteiro
6–3, 5–7, 7–6

Subsequent & current

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1984 United States Betsy Nagelsen
United States Paula Smith (2)
United States Terry Holladay
Poland Iwona Kuczyńska
6–2, 6–4
1985United States Candy Reynolds (2)
Australia Wendy Turnbull
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
Australia Susan Leo
6–4, 6–0
1986United States Beth Herr
United States Alycia Moulton
United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
5–7, 6–2, 6–4
1987Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
France Catherine Suire
United States Elise Burgin
United States Sharon Walsh
6–3, 6–4
1988United States Patty Fendick
Canada Jill Hetherington
United States Betsy Nagelsen
South Africa Dinky Van Rensburg
7–6(12–10), 6–4
1989United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Gretchen Magers
United States Robin White
4–6, 6–3, 6–3
 Tier III tournament 
1990United States Patty Fendick (2)
United States Zina Garrison
United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer
6–4, 7–6(7–5)
1991Canada Jill Hetherington (2)
United States Kathy Rinaldi
United States Gigi Fernández
France Nathalie Tauziat
6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1992Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná (2)
Commonwealth of Independent States Larisa Neiland
Spain Conchita Martínez
Argentina Mercedes Paz
6–1, 6–4
 Tier II tournament 
1993United States Gigi Fernández
Czech Republic Helena Suková
United States Pam Shriver
Australia Elizabeth Smylie
6–4, 6–3
1994Czech Republic Jana Novotná (2)
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
United States Ginger Helgeson
Australia Rachel McQuillan
6–3, 6–3
1995United States Gigi Fernández (2)
Belarus Natasha Zvereva
France Alexia Dechaume-Balleret
France Sandrine Testud
6–2, 6–1
1996United States Gigi Fernández (3)
Spain Conchita Martínez
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Latvia Larisa Neiland
4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1997Switzerland Martina Hingis
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (2)
United States Amy Frazier
United States Kimberly Po
6–3, 7–5
1998United States Lindsay Davenport
Belarus Natasha Zvereva (2)
France Alexandra Fusai
France Nathalie Tauziat
6–2, 6–1
1999United States Lindsay Davenport (2)
United States Corina Morariu
United States Serena Williams
United States Venus Williams
6–4, 6–1
2000United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Rennae Stubbs
United States Lindsay Davenport
Russia Anna Kournikova
4–6, 6–3, 7–6(8–6)
2001Zimbabwe Cara Black
Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Switzerland Martina Hingis
Russia Anna Kournikova
6–4, 1–6, 6–4
2002Russia Elena Dementieva
Slovakia Janette Husárová
Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama
6–2, 6–4
  Tier I tournament  
2003Belgium Kim Clijsters
Japan Ai Sugiyama
United States Lindsay Davenport
United States Lisa Raymond
6–4, 7–5
  Tier I tournament  
2004Zimbabwe Cara Black (2)
Australia Rennae Stubbs (2)
Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez
4–6, 6–1, 6–4
2005Spain Conchita Martínez (2)
Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama
6–7(7–9), 6–1, 7–5
2006Zimbabwe Cara Black (3)
Australia Rennae Stubbs (3)
Germany Anna-Lena Grönefeld
United States Meghann Shaughnessy
6–2, 6–2
2007Zimbabwe Cara Black (4)
United States Liezel Huber
Russia Anna Chakvetadze
Belarus Victoria Azarenka
7–5, 6–3
2008–2009not held
  Premier tournament  
2010Russia Maria Kirilenko
China Zheng Jie
United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Rennae Stubbs
6–4, 6–4
2011Czech Republic Kvĕta Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik
United States Raquel Kops-Jones
United States Abigail Spears
6–0, 6–2
2012United States Raquel Kops-Jones
United States Abigail Spears
United States Vania King
Russia Nadia Petrova
6–2, 6–4
2013United States Raquel Kops-Jones (2)
United States Abigail Spears (2)
Chinese Taipei Chan Hao-ching
Slovakia Janette Husárová
6–4, 6–1
2014not held
  WTA 125 tournament  
2015Brazil Gabriela Cé
Paraguay Verónica Cepede Royg
Georgia (country) Oksana Kalashnikova
Germany Tatjana Maria
1–6, 6–4, [10–8]
2016–2021not held
  WTA 500 tournament  
2022United States Coco Gauff
United States Jessica Pegula
Canada Gabriela Dabrowski
Mexico Giuliana Olmos
1–6, 7–5, [10–4]
2023Czech Republic Barbora Krejčíková
Czech Republic Kateřina Siniaková
United States Danielle Collins
United States CoCo Vandeweghe
6–1, 6–4

See also

References and footnotes

  1. "Acura has come a long way, baby, but its run is ending". Retrieved 2007-08-04.
  2. Keith Kattan Raising Big Smiling Tennis Kids: A Complete Roadmap for Every Parent and Coach 2006 Page 208 "players-turned-entrepreneurs like Jane Stratton and Raquel Giscafré, who run a prestigious WTA tournament in San Diego "
  3. Freeman, John (December 20, 1988). "New name, purse for Slims Tourney banking on new sponsor". Evening Tribune. p. D-3.
  4. Freeman, John (November 3, 1990). "Tennis event will move to La Costa site". Evening Tribune. p. C-5.
  5. "Carlsbad WTA tournament moves to Tokyo". tennis.com. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  6. "Carlsbad Classic". Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  7. "Carlsbad Classic Tennis Homepage". Retrieved 29 October 2015.
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