Southern California Open
| Mercury Insurance Open | |
|---|---|
| Tournament information | |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Location |
Carlsbad, California United States |
| Venue | La Costa Resort and Spa |
| Category |
WTA Tier I (2004–2007) WTA Premier tournaments (2010–2013) WTA 125K Series (2015– |
| Surface | Hardcourt / Outdoor |
| Draw | 32S / 16SQ / 16D |
| Prize money | US$125,000 |
The Southern California Open is a WTA 125K Series affiliated professional women's tennis tournament held at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.
The event was formed in 1984 by Raquel Giscafré as the Ginny of San Diego. 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 number ones 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 was suspended after the 2007 edition. 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.
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