Belinda Bencic‘s success story in Tokyo got a new chapter this weekend. The Swiss star, already an Olympic champion on these courts, added the Toray Pan Pacific Open crown added to her collection with an impressive 6–2 6–3 win over the Czech Republic 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, at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, that she won gold in singles and silver in doubles, writing her name in Swiss sporting history. Although the medal color was replaced this time 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 the court, battling through consecutive three-set matches against last year’s runners-up Sofia Kenin and Karolina Muchova. Despite the fatigue, her determination never wavered.
Noskova’s road, on the other hand, was surprisingly easy. She advanced to the final after only 35 minutes of actual play in her final two rounds – first when her quarterfinal opponent, Anna Kalinskaya, retired, and then when Elena Rybakina withdrew before the semifinals due to a back injury. Yet the extra rest did not translate into rhythm or sharpness once the final started.
During their very first meeting, Bencic’s experience proved decisive against the twenty-year-old Noskova. The Swiss broke three times and impressively saved all 10 break points she faced, wrapping up the match in one hour and 22 minutes. The fifth seed set the tone with a gritty six-minute break in the opening match. From then on she controlled the match, breaking twice to take the first set and fending off pressure with calm serving and patience. Noskova hit more winners (28 to 23) but was undone by 37 unforced errors, while Bencic stayed clean with 13.
The victory marks Bencic’s second title of 2025 (the first being Abu Dhabi) and her 10th overall, bringing her record in tour-level finals to 10-10. After starting the season ranked No. 421 following her maternity leave, the 28-year-old has risen to a live ranking of No. 11. For Noskova, the defeat drops her to 1-5 in the career finals.
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