The WTA Auckland Open, known as the ASB Classic (sponsored by ASB Bank), is a professional women's tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. The tournament is played annually, in the first week of January, at the ASB Tennis Centre in the suburb of Parnell, just east of the Central Business District. It is an International level tournament in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) World Tour. The equivalent men's event, the ATP Auckland Open, is played in the following week, immediately ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open.

The ASB Classic returned in 2023 after the 2021 and 2022 events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic owing travel restrictions for international visitors to New Zealand.

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia was the 2014 singles champion

History

In 1886 the first open tournament held in Auckland was the Auckland Championships it was the precursor event to this one, but was not always staged. In the 1920s major new tennis venues were built in Auckland for the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association (now called Tennis Auckland), as well as Wellington and Christchurch comprising both grass and hard courts. In 1920 when the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association was looking for a permanent base, the only available site was a tip in Stanley Street. Undeterred, the local clubs raised the-then enormous sum of 1,800 pounds to prepare the site and build new courts. For the next 30 years the Tennis Centre in Stanley Street was home to local tennis matches. In 1942 the Auckland Championships were discontinued. In 1954 a second version of the Auckland Championships was revived that is still being staged today.

In 1956 Auckland hosted its first new permanent international tournament, known as the 'Auckland Invitation'. In 1959 the tournament was renamed as the New Zealand Invitation before returning to its former name in 1960. By the 1960s the shuttle bus fare from town to Stanley Street was sixpence. Admission was five shillings for the first three days and 7/6 for finals and semifinals – a whole tournament for the equivalent of $4. By the 1970s, 25 cents got you all-day parking next door at Carlaw Park. The tournament was played on outdoor grass courts from its inaugural edition in 1956 until 1977, switching to hard courts in 1978.

In 1963 this event was rebranded as the Auckland Wills International tournament. In 1969 its official name was altered again to the New Zealand Open. In 1971 its official name was changed to the New Zealand Centennial Open for one year only before returning to its former name until 1981 when the event was separated into the ATP Auckland Open for men and the WTA Auckland Open for women. Between 1979 and 1989 the men's editions of the tournament were part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit.

From 1969, the first edition in the open era of tennis, until 1981 the joint tournament was known under its sponsored name 'Benson and Hedges Open'. When the event was split into two tournaments the men's sponsorship continued as the Benson and Hedges Open. Then from 1998 until 2015 it was named the 'Heineken Open'. There was no women's events for the years 1983 to 1984 and 1986. In 1987 the women's event resumed and its sponsorship name was the Nutri-Metics Open until 1989, then called the Nutri-Metics International in 1990, then the Nutri-Metics Bendon Classic from 1991 to 1992, then the Amway Classic from 1993 to 1996. In 1997 it was branded as the ASB Classic a women's tournament.

After being separated for 34 years, the WTA and ATP merged the event in 2016 and both tournaments are now known collectively as the ASB Classic. Heineken will still be a sponsor but will have a diminished role in anticipation of new tennis regulations restricting alcohol sponsorship.

Both the 2021 and 2022 Auckland Open were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In regards to the 2022 cancellation, organizers cited New Zealand's strict quarantine rules as making it intractable for players, officials, and all other required staff to be admitted into the country.

Finals

Singles

YearChampionsRunners-upScore
For historical winners of this event see Auckland Championships 1886–1942
Auckland Invitation
1956Australia Mary Bevis HawtonAustralia Thelma Coyne Long8–6, 10–8
1957Australia Margaret HellyerNew Zealand Ruia Morrison6–4, 6–4
1958United Kingdom Angela MortimerNew Zealand Ruia Morrison6–2, 6–1
New Zealand Invitation
1959New Zealand Ruia MorrisonAustralia Betty Holstein6–4, 6–4
Auckland Invitation
1960New Zealand Ruia Morrison (2)Australia Margaret Smith6–2, 6–4
1961Australia Jan LehaneNew Zealand Ruia Morrison6–0, 6–3
1962United States Darlene HardNew Zealand Ruia Morrison7–5, 7–5
Auckland Wills International
1963Australia Lesley TurnerNew Zealand Ruia Morrison-Davy6–2, 6–1
1964Australia Margaret SmithAustralia Jan Lehane6–4, 3–6, 6–0
1965United Kingdom Rita BentleyAustralia Jill Blackman6–4, 6–3
1966Australia Margaret Smith (2)Australia Kerry Melville6–1, 6–1
1967United States Rosie CasalsFrance Françoise Dürr6–2, 7–5
1968Australia Kerry MelvilleAustralia Gail Sherriff8–6, 6–1
↓ Open Era ↓
New Zealand Open
1969United Kingdom Ann Haydon JonesAustralia Karen Krantzcke6–1, 6–1
1970United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones (2)Australia Kerry Melville0–6, 6–4, 6–1
New Zealand Centennial Open
1971Australia Margaret Smith Court (3)Australia Evonne Goolagong3–6, 7–6, 6–2
New Zealand Open
1972Australia Kerry MelvilleUnited States Rosie Casals6–2, 6–0
1973Australia Evonne GoolagongNew Zealand Marilyn Pryde6–0 6–1
1974Australia Evonne Goolagong (2)United States Ann Kiyomura6–3, 6–1
1975Australia Evonne Goolagong (3)United Kingdom Linda Mottram6–2, 7–5
1976United Kingdom Sue BarkerWest Germany Helga Niessen Masthoff6–5, rained out title shared
1977West Germany Heidi EisterlehnerAustralia Karen Krantzcke6–4, 6–4
1978Sweden Helena AnliotAustralia Marilyn Tesch6–4, 6–3
1979Australia Pam WhytcrossNew Zealand Brenda Perry6–3, 7–5
WTA Auckland Open
1980United States Janet NewberryNew Zealand Judy Connor Chaloner6–2, 6–1
1981Australia Pam Whytcross (2)New Zealand Chris Newton3–6, 6–4, 6–1
1982Germany Susan HageyNew Zealand Belinda Cordwell6–4, 6–2
↓ Category 1 ↓
1985United Kingdom Anne HobbsAustralia Louise Field6–4, 6–2
1986Not held
1987United States Gretchen MagersUnited States Terry Phelps6–2, 6–3
1988United States Patty FendickUnited Kingdom Sara Gomer6–3, 7–6
1989United States Patty Fendick (2)New Zealand Belinda Cordwell6–2, 6–0
↓ Tier V ↓
1990Soviet Union Leila MeskhiBelgium Sabine Appelmans6–1, 6–0
1991Czechoslovakia Eva ŠvíglerováCzechoslovakia Andrea Strnadová6–2, 0–6, 6–1
1992United States Robin WhiteCzechoslovakia Andrea Strnadová6–0, 6–0
↓ Tier IV ↓
1993South Africa Elna ReinachUnited States Caroline Kuhlman6–0, 6–0
1994United States Ginger Helgeson-NielsenArgentina Inés Gorrochategui7–6(7–4), 6–3
1995Australia Nicole BradtkeUnited States Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1996United States Sandra CacicAustria Barbara Paulus6–3, 1–6, 6–4
1997Austria Marion MaruskaAustria Judith Wiesner6–3, 6–1
1998Belgium Dominique van RoostItaly Silvia Farina4–6, 7–6, 7–5
1999France Julie Halard-DecugisBelgium Dominique van Roost6–4, 6–1
2000Luxembourg Anne KremerZimbabwe Cara Black6–4, 6–4
↓ Tier V ↓
2001United States Meilen TuArgentina Paola Suárez7–6(10–8), 6–2
↓ Tier IV ↓
2002Israel Anna SmashnovaRussia Tatiana Panova6–2, 6–2
2003Greece Eleni DaniilidouSouth Korea Cho Yoon-jeong6–4, 4–6, 7–62
2004Greece Eleni Daniilidou (2)United States Ashley Harkleroad6–3, 6–2
2005Slovenia Katarina SrebotnikJapan Shinobu Asagoe5–7, 7–5, 6–4
2006France Marion BartoliRussia Vera Zvonareva6–2, 6–2
2007Serbia Jelena JankovićRussia Vera Zvonareva7–6(11–9), 5–7, 6–3
2008United States Lindsay DavenportFrance Aravane Rezaï6–2, 6–2
↓ International ↓
2009Russia Elena DementievaRussia Elena Vesnina6–4, 6–1
2010Belgium Yanina WickmayerItaly Flavia Pennetta6–3, 6–2
2011Hungary Gréta ArnBelgium Yanina Wickmayer6–3, 6–3
2012China Zheng JieItaly Flavia Pennetta2–6, 6–3, 2–0 Ret.
2013Poland Agnieszka RadwańskaBelgium Yanina Wickmayer6–4, 6–4
2014Serbia Ana IvanovicUnited States Venus Williams6–2, 5–7, 6–4
2015United States Venus WilliamsDenmark Caroline Wozniacki2–6, 6–3, 6–3
Auckland Open
2016United States Sloane StephensGermany Julia Görges7–5, 6–2
2017United States Lauren DavisCroatia Ana Konjuh6–3, 6–1
2018Germany Julia GörgesDenmark Caroline Wozniacki6–4, 7–6(7–4)
2019Germany Julia Görges (2)Canada Bianca Andreescu2–6, 7–5, 6–1
2020United States Serena WilliamsUnited States Jessica Pegula6–3, 6–4
2021Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022
↓ WTA 250 ↓
2023United States Coco GauffSpain Rebeka Masarova6–1, 6–1
2024United States Coco Gauff (2)Ukraine Elina Svitolina6–7(4–7), 6–3, 6–3
2025Denmark Clara TausonJapan Naomi Osaka4–6 retd.
2026Ukraine Elina SvitolinaChina Wang Xinyu6–3, 7–6(8–6)

Event names

This tournament had just its official names from 1956 to 1968 with no sponsorship. In 1969 following the start of the open era sponsorship begins and the event carries both its official designation and its sponsorship title.

Official

NameYearsEvent type
Auckland Invitation1956–1958, 1960–1962combined
New Zealand Invitation1959combined
Auckland Wills International1963–1968combined
New Zealand Open1969–1979combined
Auckland Open1980–1981combined
WTA Auckland Open1982–2015women's
Auckland Open2016–currentcombined

Sponsored

The tournaments sponsored names have been as follows:

NameYearsEvent type
Benson & Hedges Open1969–1970, 1960–1962combined
Benson & Hedges Centennial Open1971combined
Benson & Hedges Open1972–1981combined
events separate (1982–2015) & no women events (1983–84, 1986)
Nutri-Metics Open1987–1989women's
Nutri-Metics International1990women's
Nutri-Metics Bendon Classic1991–1992women's
Amway Classic1993–1996women's
ASB Classic1997–2015women's
events combine again (2016)
ASB Classic2016–currentcombined

See also

External links