Japan Open 2023 schedule and order of play - updated daily

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Another exciting ATP 500 event is upon us, and the Japan Open schedule will be covered in extensive detail right here. This long-standing event is significant for all players involved for various reasons. For some, it’s a chance to qualify for the ATP Finals which will be held in just a few weeks’ time. And for others, it’s a chance to rack up the rankings points and grab a nice paycheck! As for what you can expect from this page, I’ve got some specifics to share with you.

Japan Open Schedule 2023

First up, I have supplied a comprehensive breakdown of the 2023 Japan Open schedule so you can keep these days in mind. Additionally, you can tune in for daily updates concerning the Japan Open order of play for the entire week. This way, you’ll be able to track the matches, stay on top of the draw, and even follow a few of our Japan Open predictions along the way.

All of this information is contained in the various sections below.

Day 9 – Japan Open schedule breakdown for finals day

As we turn the page onto the final chapter at the 2023 Japan Open, I can safely say that this has been an exciting and unique event. We needn’t look much beyond the lineup for the finals for confirmation of this. The men’s doubles final has two unseeded pairs bidding for the title, and the same holds true for the singles final. This means all of the seeded players have been knocked out, which doesn’t tend to be the case, no matter what level a tournament is played at.

Of course, the impact of this is that the Japan Open schedule is now condensed into just one court, with two matches set to be played on Sunday, October 22nd. With both being finals matches, I expect some serious excitement as well as some top-level tennis. And if you’re wondering who the players are for the finals, when things will start, and the specific Japan Open order of play, let me get into it now.

Colosseum – 06:00 start time

Finals day is obviously the pinnacle of the 2023 Japan Open, as it is for any tournament for that matter. It’s the day that we get to finally find out who gets crowned champions, and this will be the case for the singles and doubles tournament tomorrow. In the singles, we have two unseeded players set to face-off for the trophy. And as it happens, the exact same story is true for the doubles event. Therefore, the Japan Open schedule for Sunday, October 22nd, isn’t one that most of us would have predicted at this point last week. Then again, that’s the beauty of tennis – anything can and often does happen!

As for the Japan Open order of play on Sunday, there are two matches scheduled on Colosseum, as I’m sure you’ve gathered if you’ve been following my daily updates. These games will unfold at 06:00 UK time, which is when the first of the two finals will be played. This final will be followed by a trophy ceremony, as is customary in these events, and then the following game will be played ‘not before’ 08:30 UK time. As for the exact lineup and order of play, let me share the details now:

Murray/Venus vs Hijikata/Purcell
Aslan Karatsev vs Ben Shelton

The first of the two matches sees Murray/Venus taking on the Australian partnership of Hijikata/Purcell. Both pairs won their semi-finals in a third-set tie-break, which is unique. As for the following match, it’s Karatsev vs Shelton – a battle of two unseeded players for the title. Karatsev put out the home favorite in straight sets in his semi, while Shelton rallied from one set and 5-2 down to overcome Giron.

Day 8 – updated Japan Open schedule for Saturday, October 21st

Following the conclusion of matches on day 7, we officially know who one of the finalists will be on Sunday. In case you haven’t seen the results, it was the Australian partnership of Purcell/Hijikata who beat the 3rd seeds to secure a place in the title match on day 10. Therefore, one might say that these guys are officially ahead of the game, yet things will not stay that way for long. Once you look through the full Japan Open schedule for tomorrow, which is day eight of the event, you’ll quickly learn that the other finalists will be joining the Aussies very soon. After all, once all of the matches on day eight have been played, the singles finalists and doubles finalists will be confirmed.

With that said, there is still plenty of tennis to be played before we have confirmation on who these finalists will be. And with three tantalizing matches involved in the Japan Open order of play for day 8, it should be a terrific day of tennis for both fans in the stadium and viewers at home. Anyway, you are probably curious as to who is involved in these matches, when the action will start, and what the exact lineup is for the main court.

So let me move things forward and discuss these details right now.

Colosseum

Given that this is the second to last day of the Japan Open schedule, the number of matches in the lineup isn’t exactly extensive. Then again, the quality of matches at this point in the event, theoretically, should be the best that we’ve seen so far. And based on the Japan Open order of play for Colosseum, I certainly believe that this theory will hold true. I say that because play will open on day 8 with an intriguing battle between the Americans, both of whom are playing magnificent tennis at the Japan Open.

Of course, this is a semi-final match, which is due to be followed by the other semi-final any time after 08:00. As for the kick-off time for the initial match, you will need to wake up nice and early to tune in, as the game will start at around 06:00. Adding to this, if you have been following my Japan Open schedule updates, you will be fully aware that the men’s doubles event has reached the semi-final stage too. In fact, one of the doubles semi-finals was already played today, leaving just one more to be played tomorrow, and this is the third match on Colosseum.

With these details cleared up, let me give you the full Japan Open order of play for this main show court on day 8:

Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron
TBD vs Aslan Karatsev (Not Before 08:00)
Lammons/Withrow vs Murray/Venus

One final note – if you are short on time and you can only watch one of these three matches, I would definitely recommend viewing the opening match of Shelton vs Giron, if you can. This could be a real blockbuster, and it’s not one to miss!

Day 7 – the latest Japan Open schedule revealed for Friday, October 20th

All quarter-final games in the top half of the men’s singles event have either been completed or are close to completion at the time of writing. However, the quarter-finals have all been wrapped up in the men’s doubles event. As a result, the Japan Open schedule is shaping up nicely for day 7 – Friday, October 20th. No matter what happens, Colosseum will host four singles matches on day 7, while the Kinoshita Group Arena will host three matches. On that note, Colosseum is the chosen court for the remaining quarter-final games in the bottom half of the men’s singles draw.

This means that all singles matches will be played there on Friday, and the action is set to start at around 05:00 with a battle of the top American players. As for the three matches listed in the Japan Open order of play for the Kinoshita Group Arena, the lineup consists of two wheelchair championships finals and one men’s doubles semi-final. The action should start at around 06:30 on that court, while the proceeding matches have ‘NB’ start times of 08:30 and 09:30, respectively.

As for what’s on the cards for the Japan Open schedule as a whole for day 7, let me cover the specifics now.

Colosseum

If you love singles action, Colosseum is the court you must watch on day 7. In fact, as a friendly reminder, make sure you check out our breakdown of the Japan Open live streaming options if you wish to watch these matches. But back to the schedule – each match has a top-level player involved on Friday. Names like Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alex de Minaur are all set to feature, yet there are obviously several others too.

Once again – these games are all quarter-final matches, and the results will determine who plays in the semi-finals for the bottom half of the draw. So on that note, let me provide the complete Japan Open order of play for Colosseum tomorrow:

Tommy Paul vs Ben Shelton
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Marcos Giron
Alex de Minaur vs Zhang or Karatsev
Fritz or Mochizuki vs Alexei Popyrin

Kinoshita Group Arena

It’s a different story entirely for the Japan Open schedule on Kinoshita Group Arena. With two wheelchair finals on the cards, the style of matches and what to expect is completely different from Colosseum, which is great for the diversity of the tournament, in my opinion. And as referenced above, this court is set to host three matches today. Play should start at 06:30 UK time with the wheelchair singles final, followed by the men’s doubles semi-final, and play will end with the wheelchair doubles final.

It should be a day full of great tennis, and the exact matches and players involved are listed in order below:

Tokito Oda vs Takashi Sanada (Wheelchair singles final)
Arevalo/Rojer vs Hijikata/Purcell
TBD vs Saida/Suzuki (Wheelchair doubles final)

Day 6 – a rundown of the Japan Open schedule on Thursday, October 19th

Following the results from day five at the Japan Open, the bottom half of the men’s singles event has officially reached the quarter-final stage. This means that the remaining second-round matches make up the Japan Open order of play on Colosseum tomorrow. Of course, the winners of these matches will then compete in the quarter-finals in the top half of the draw. As for the matches that are scheduled in the men’s doubles event, all four quarter-finals are set to be played on Thursday, October 19th.

This means that day 6 should be very exciting, and I’ve given you the full breakdown below.

Colosseum

The Colosseum Court is where it’s at on day six for those who primarily wish to watch the singles event. Much like in previous days, the Colosseum is the sole court that will host the men’s singles matches at this point in the tournament. Specifically, the Japan Open schedule for this court is loaded with four second-round matches in the men’s singles tournament. From these four matches, the fans will get to see the number one and number four seeds in action, yet they will also see a qualifier who is enjoying quite a run in Japan.

Adding to that, the Japan Open order of play for Colosseum also has one men’s doubles match. This match has some home interest as well since there is a Japanese duo taking on the number three seeds in what should be a great game. Anyway, with play set to begin at 03:00 UK time, and with five scheduled matches, the following order of play should be a great watch:

Cristian Garin vs Alexei Popyrin
Alex de Minaur vs Diego Schwartzman
McLachlan/Nishioka vs Arevalo/Rojer
Taylor Fritz vs Shintaro Mochizuki
Zhizhen Zhang vs Aslan Karatsev

Kinoshita Group Arena

Moving away from the Japan Open order of play from the main court to the other show court now, Kinoshita Group Arena is also set to host five matches. The schedule here is significantly different compared with the Colosseum Court, however. That’s because this court will host two wheelchair matches – one singles and one doubles, and these will start and finish the day, respectively. Sandwiched between these matches, there are three top-notch men’s doubles matches to tune in for as well.

As for the main attractions on this court today, these have to be the number four seeds in the men’s doubles, as well as the top seeds in the wheelchair singles and doubles events. To clarify, the 4th seed in the men’s doubles is Gille/Vliegen, and the top seeds in the wheelchair events are Tokito Oda and Houdet/Sanada. As for when these matches will unfold, as per the confirmed Japan Open schedule for this court, games will begin at 03:00 and run through into the late morning/early afternoon, UK time.

Check out the full lineup below:

Tokito Oda vs Kouhei Suzuki (Wheelchair Championships)
Gille/Vliegen vs Murray/Venus
Shimabukuro/Watanuki vs Hijikata/Purcell
Uchida/Uchiyama vs Lammons/Withrow
Houdet/Sanada vs Fujimoto/Weekes (Wheelchair Championships)

Day 5 – overview of Japan Open schedule for Wednesday, October 18th

Day 5 is approaching quickly, and the 2023 Japan Open is heating up. As for the Japan Open order of play for day five, it’s looking very promising indeed. Much like day four, there will be a mix of doubles and singles play, yet the doubles tournament has a greater presence for Wednesday compared with previous days. That’s mainly because the doubles tournament is now getting into full flow, while the singles event is set to maintain its steady march forward, which keeps in line with the original Japan Open schedule.

So, what’s specifically on the cards for day five? Well, Colosseum, as the main court, will host a total of five singles matches, and the action should start at around 04:00 in the UK. This start time holds true for the Kinoshita Group Arena on day dive too, yet the order of play is slightly different for this court. Instead of hosting five singles matches, this court will host five doubles matches. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of high-level doubles play, that’s the court to watch on Wednesday, October 18th.

As for the exact matches on these courts, let’s dive into the details now.

Colosseum

With five singles matches on the schedule, Colosseum should be home to some top-level singles matches on day five. Names like Hubert Hurkacz, last week’s Shanghai Masters winner, as well as Tommy Paul (seed 5) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (seed 8) are part of the schedule here. And given their opponents, the matches should be very entertaining indeed. Furthermore, as a quick reminder, play will start here at around 04:00 UK time. Matches will then progress one after the other until the final two games, which have a ‘not before’ start time of 11:00.

As for the full Japan Open schedule for Colosseum, here we go:

Zhizhen Zhang vs Hubert Hurkacz
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Sebastian Ofner
Tommy Paul vs Mackenzie McDonald
Marcos Giron vs TBD
Ben Shelton vs Jordan Thompson

Based on the confirmed matches here, I’d say that Shelton vs Thompson has the potential to be a true blockbuster. Thompson took out Zverev in the first round, while Shelton came through in a thriller, winning 7-6 in the third to set up this clash.

Kinoshita Group Arena

This court is the chosen one for doubles action on day five. Of course, the top two seeds withdrew from the event yesterday, so they won’t feature. However, two wildcards who have taken their place are filling in, and they form part of the Japan Open order of play for this court. Adding to that, the 3rd seeds, Arevalo/Rojer, as well as several dangerous duos like Murray/Venus and Hijikata/Purcell, are listed too.

I have listed the exact matches in order of start to finish below:

Popyrin/Vukic vs Murray/Venus
Hijikata/Purcell vs Mochizuki/Noguchi
Uchida/Uchiyama vs Cerundolo/Etcheverry
Erler/Miedler vs Arevalo/Rojer

Day 4 – Japan Open schedule overview and order of play

The first full day of the Japan Open has now been completed with regard to the main draw. With that said, this opening day wasn’t exactly jam-packed, which means that the action is only going to get more intense from here on out. I say this in terms of how many matches will be listed on the Japan Open schedule, as well as the overall quality of the matches. Speaking of which, my updates today will be focusing on the Japan Open order of play for day four. So, to avoid any doubts, this schedule refers to the matches on Tuesday, October 17th. And much like the opening day of the tournament, the lineup is set to host a blend of men’s singles and men’s doubles matches.

Furthermore, since all of the action can be viewed on Amazon Prime, you may like to know that the matches are set to begin at around 03:00 UK time. This means that if you want to watch all of the games, you’ll need to wake up in the middle of the night – not exactly ideal. But if you simply want to catch some of the games at a more reasonable time, you will be able to do so since there is a chain of matches on the selected courts for day 4.

To be even more specific, the Japan Open schedule shows us that day 4 will play host to a total of 11 matches. These are split between two courts, and I have outlined the entire lineup for both of these courts below.

Colosseum

As we would expect for an event of this magnitude, the bulk of the singles matches have been built into the Japan Open order of play for this court. To clarify, Colosseum is the main show court at the Japan Open. And as we move later into the tournament, this court will gradually start to host the main matches from both the singles and doubles tournaments. Yet for day four, Colosseum will only host singles matches, and the full lineup is outlined here:

Alex de Minaur vs Jack Draper
Taylor Fritz vs Cam Norrie
Ben Shelton vs Taro Daniel
Yosuke Watanuki vs Casper Ruud
Aslan Karatsev vs Frances Tiafoe

With six singles matches in total, Colosseum is certainly a court that you should try and tune into on day 4. Several of the top seeds are scheduled to play here on Tuesday. This includes the number one seed, Taylor Fritz, as well as the number two seed, Casper Ruud.

Kinoshita Group Arena

For the Kinoshita Group Arena on day 4, there are five scheduled matches in total. And while the names in the singles lineup might not be as prestigious as they are for Colosseum on Tuesday, the schedule is still very enticing. Additionally, the Japan Open order of play for this court has two doubles matches to wrap things up.

Check out the full schedule below:

Sho Shimabukuro vs Cristian Garin
Alexei Popyrin vs Karen Khachanov
Francisco Cerundolo vs Diego Schwartzman
Shintaro Mochizuki vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Ichikawa/Imamura vs McLachlan/Nishioka
Gille/Vliegen vs McDonald/Melo

2023 Japan Open schedule – the tournament as a whole

At the time of writing (October 15th), the Japan Open qualifying draw is reaching its conclusion. And like many ATP 500 level events, the tournament then dives straight into the main draw on the very next day. This means that the Japan Open schedule for the main draw is set to commence on Monday, October 16th. Various matches are then set to unfold until we reach the finals day on Sunday, October 22nd. Along the way, we will bear witness to the top Japan Open seeds trying to live up to their position in the draw.

At the same time, it’s not just the men’s singles event that is taking place. There is also the men’s doubles tournament running alongside the singles event, which ensures a varied and exciting week of tennis ahead. Of course, the matches from both events will feature in my daily updates regarding the Japan Open order of play.

Speaking of which, let me now shift gears to focus more on what matches and rounds are coming up on each day throughout the week.

Japan Open schedule – day-by-day breakdown

The information above confirms that the Japan Open is set to run from October 16th to October 22nd. This makes it a week-long event, and there are set rounds and matches scheduled for each of the seven days. On that note, let me provide some specifics on these individual days right now:

Monday, October 16th – Round 1
Tuesday, October 17th – Round 1 Continued
Wednesday, October 18th – Rounds 1 & 2
Thursday, October 19th – Round 2 Continued
Friday, October 20th – Quarter-finals & Semi-finals
Saturday, October 21st – Semi-finals Continued
Sunday, October 22nd – Finals

Note that the Japan Open doubles competition overlaps with this schedule. Therefore, where you see the specific rounds mentioned, in most cases, this refers to both the singles and doubles events. And due to the draw sizes for the doubles and singles tournaments, doubles pairings must win four matches to take home the title, while singles players must win five.

Information on the Japan Open order of play updates

At this point, you should have the full Japan Open schedule locked off in your mind. If not, don’t worry – you can always come back and check the dates again at any time you like. However, simply knowing the Japan Open schedule in your head won’t give you the specifics of what to expect for each day of the tournament. I am referencing the Japan Open order of play updates here, which is why I’d like to clarify a few things concerning what these updates will entail right here.

Specific court schedules

Ahead of each day of play, the tournament officials will release a specific order of play for each of the courts involved. In the early stages of the 2023 Japan Open, there will be multiple courts involved. Yet, as the draw sizes start to become smaller and smaller, fewer courts will be needed to complete all of the necessary matches. Either way, you can expect a full lineup for the Japan Open order of play every day with their specific courts.

Start times

Not only will you be able to see the specific courts involved, but I will also give details of the start times. This will vary throughout the tournament, but I will always give the approximate start times so you can tune in and watch if desired. Additionally, where possible, I will give approximate start times for the entire lineup – if these are provided by the tournament organizers.

Match overviews

Last but not least, if some intriguing matchups are listed in the Japan Open schedule, I will provide more information on these games. This way, you will know which of the matches should be the most entertaining, while also understanding why at the same time. And from here, you can map out your own viewing schedule to maximize your enjoyment of the tournament.

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