Toray Pan Pacific Open 2026 Day 1: Bencic and Chwalinska Withdraw as Eala Advances
Tokyo’s opening day produced four winners. But two of the tournament’s biggest stories ended before their first matches.
Defending champion Belinda Bencic and second seed Maja Chwalinska withdrew from the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Monday, October 26, reshaping a draw that had promised the return of Tokyo’s reigning champion and the next chapter of Chwalinska’s Wuhan breakthrough.
On court, Alexandra Eala delivered a commanding opening victory, Alycia Parks survived three set points, Talia Gibson secured a meeting with Eala, and Elise Mertens advanced in straight sets.
The tournament had barely begun, but several of its storylines had already changed.
Belinda Bencic and Maja Chwalinska: Two Tokyo Stories End Before They Begin
Bencic arrived as the defending champion, carrying the expectation of another title challenge in Tokyo.
That possibility ended before she played.
The fourth seed withdrew because of a right ankle injury, leaving her place in the draw to be filled by a lucky loser.
At the conclusion of Monday’s play, her replacement had not yet been officially named.
Chwalinska’s withdrawal brought a different kind of disappointment.
The Polish player had captured her first WTA Tour singles title in Wuhan just two weeks earlier. Tokyo offered an opportunity to build on that breakthrough.
Instead, a left thigh injury forced the second seed out of the tournament.
Australia’s Kimberly Birrell entered the draw as a lucky loser, inheriting Chwalinska’s first-round bye.
Birrell will face Alycia Parks for a place in the quarterfinals.
For Bencic and Chwalinska, Tokyo’s competitive story ended without a match. For the players entering their positions, new opportunities emerged.
Alexandra Eala Makes a Confident Start in Tokyo
Alexandra Eala opened her campaign with a 6–1, 6–2 victory over British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic.
The eighth seed completed the match in approximately 76 minutes.
The score suggested a comfortable afternoon, but one moment in the second set required Eala to respond under pressure.
Facing a 0–40 deficit on serve early in the set, the Filipina recovered to hold.
It was the only game in which Stojsavljevic earned break points.
Eala landed 68% of her first serves and won 72% of points behind them.
Stojsavljevic produced 24 winners, compared with Eala’s eight, but also committed 41 unforced errors.
The contrast illustrated the match’s central difference: the British teenager generated considerable power, while Eala maintained greater control.
Watch Eala vs Stojsavljevic highlights:
Alexandra Eala’s Next Test: Talia Gibson
Eala’s victory sets up a confirmed second-round meeting with Australia’s Talia Gibson.
Gibson defeated Daria Kasatkina 6–0, 7–5 in another Monday first-round match.
The Australian won the opening eight games before Kasatkina made the second set considerably more competitive.
Gibson nevertheless completed the victory in straight sets.
Eala and Gibson now enter their meeting with contrasting but convincing opening performances.
For Eala, the result continues a storyline that began in Ningbo, where she defeated Diane Parry before falling to Diana Shnaider.
A potential Tokyo quarterfinal rematch with Shnaider remains possible, but both players must first win their second-round matches.
The immediate challenge is Gibson.
Alycia Parks Saves Three Set Points to Advance
Alycia Parks produced Monday’s most dramatic completed match.
The American qualifier defeated Wang Xinyu 6–1, 7–6(7), but the straight-sets score concealed a difficult second set.
Parks faced three set points before eventually winning the tiebreak 9–7.
Having dominated the opening set, she was forced to fight to prevent the contest from extending into a decider.
Her reward is an unexpected second-round matchup.
Parks will face Kimberly Birrell, whose entry into the draw followed Chwalinska’s withdrawal.
One player arrived through qualifying. The other entered as a lucky loser.
Now they will compete for a quarterfinal place.
Watch Wang vs Parks highlights:
Elise Mertens Advances Past Moyuka Uchijima
Fifth seed Elise Mertens defeated Japanese wildcard Moyuka Uchijima 6–4, 6–2.
The Belgian completed her opening match in approximately 79 minutes, becoming the fourth player to advance on Monday.
Mertens now awaits the winner of Tuesday’s first-round encounter between Leylah Fernandez and Japanese wildcard Himeno Sakatsume.
A Fernandez victory would produce an immediate callback to Ningbo.
Fernandez defeated Mertens 2–6, 6–3, 7–5 in the opening round there.
Whether that rematch happens in Tokyo will be decided on Tuesday.
Developing Storylines: What Changed on Day 1?
The opening day’s results altered several narratives established before the tournament.
Bencic’s title defense is over. The defending champion will not compete, leaving her section of the draw open to a new contender.
Chwalinska’s post-Wuhan momentum is interrupted. Her first WTA singles title remains a major achievement, but Tokyo will not provide an immediate continuation.
Eala’s campaign continues. Her victory over Stojsavljevic sets up a meeting with Gibson, while the potential Shnaider rematch remains conditional.
Parks has an unexpected opportunity. After saving three set points, she moves into a second-round match against lucky loser Birrell.
The teenagers remain part of Tuesday’s story. Nineteen-year-old Tereza Valentova faces 18-year-old Mia Pohankova in an opening-round encounter.
One other match remains unresolved.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Nikola Bartunkova were unable to complete their scheduled Monday encounter because of rain. Their match has been moved to Tuesday.
What’s Next: Osaka vs. Paolini Headlines Tuesday
Tuesday, October 27, brings several important opening-round matches.
The most anticipated is Naomi Osaka against Jasmine Paolini, scheduled on Center Court not before 5:00 p.m. Tokyo time.
It is one of the first-round encounters identified in Tennis Roundup’s pre-tournament draw analysis.
Elsewhere, Leylah Fernandez opens against Himeno Sakatsume, with a possible second-round meeting against Mertens awaiting the winner.
Yulia Putintseva faces Maria Sakkari, with top seed Elena Rybakina awaiting the winner.
The rain-delayed Sasnovich–Bartunkova match is also scheduled to resume the tournament’s first-round action.
Meanwhile, the identity of Bencic’s replacement remains an important draw update to watch.
Tokyo’s first day has already changed the tournament’s direction.
Tuesday will begin to show which players can take advantage.
Complete Results — Monday, October 26
Toray Pan Pacific Open 2026 | Women’s Singles | First Round
| Winner | Defeated | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Eala [8] | Mika Stojsavljevic [WC] | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Talia Gibson | Daria Kasatkina [Q] | 6–0, 7–5 |
| Alycia Parks [Q] | Wang Xinyu | 6–1, 7–6(7) |
| Elise Mertens [5] | Moyuka Uchijima [WC] | 6–4, 6–2 |
Postponed due to rain: Aliaksandra Sasnovich [Q] vs. Nikola Bartunkova.
Withdrawals: Belinda Bencic [4] and Maja Chwalinska [2].
Results and draw status reflect the research verification completed on October 26, 2026.
Related Stories
- Toray Pan Pacific Open — Tournament Hub
- Introduction — Five Stories Before Tokyo Begins
- Seedings & Draw — The First Tests and Roads Ahead
- Day 1 — Bencic and Chwalinska Withdraw as Eala Advances
- Day 2 — Two Lucky Byes as the Last 16 Take Shape
- Day 3 — Eala Roars Back to Set Shnaider Rematch
- Day 4 — Rybakina Secures Year-End No. 1 as Pohankova Stuns Osaka
- Day 5 — Pohankova Reaches Her First WTA Semifinal
- Day 6 — Shnaider and Fernandez Set Up the Final
- Day 7 — Shnaider Regroups to Beat Fernandez for the Title
- Tournament Wrap-Up — Shnaider’s Title and Five Defining Stories