# 2002 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships – Women's singles

Monica Seles was the defending champion, but did not compete this year.
Unseeded Jill Craybas won the title by defeating Silvija Talaja 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 in the final. It was the 1st title for Craybas in her singles career.

## Seeds

The first two seeds received a bye into the second round.
* Ai Sugiyama (quarterfinals)
* Tamarine Tanasugarn (semifinals)
* Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (second round)
* Emmanuelle Gagliardi (second round)
* Cara Black (first round)
* Svetlana Kuznetsova (second round)
* Virginia Ruano Pascual (second round)
* Jelena Kostanić (quarterfinals)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Silvija Talaja | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Sarah Taylor | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Sarah Taylor | 3 | 4 | | Silvija Talaja | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| | | | | | Jill Craybas | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| | Jill Craybas | 6 | 4 | 6 | Jill Craybas | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Tamarine Tanasugarn | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | | | | | 1 | A Sugiyama | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Morigami | 6 | 6 | | | A Morigami | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R de los Ríos | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | 1 | A Sugiyama | 6 | 6$^5$ | 3 | | | |
| | S Asagoe | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | S Talaja | 3 | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | |
| | S Talaja | 6 | 3 | 6 | | S Talaja | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J-h Kim | 0 | 1 | | 7 | V Ruano Pascual | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | V Ruano Pascual | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | S Talaja | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | S Taylor | 3 | 4 |
| Q | M Kirilenko | 3 | 2 | | 3 | A Sánchez Vicario | 3 | 6$^3$ | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Taylor | 6 | 6 | | | S Taylor | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Dominikovic | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | S Taylor | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Cargill | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | WC | Y Yoshida | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| Q | K-m Chang | 3 | 6$^2$ | | | A Cargill | 7$^7$ | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | Y Yoshida | 6 | 6 | | WC | Y Yoshida | 6$^5$ | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | C Black | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 8 | J Kostanić | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Obata | 4 | 6$^3$ | | 8 | J Kostanić | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Marrero | 6 | 6 | | | M Marrero | 7 | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Okamoto | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | 8 | J Kostanić | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | J Craybas | 7$^9$ | 6 | | | | | | | | J Craybas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | M Saeki | 6$^7$ | 0 | | | J Craybas | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | M Sharapova | 6 | 6$^4$ | 4 | 4 | E Gagliardi | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | E Gagliardi | 2 | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | J Craybas | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | S Kuznetsova | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | T Tanasugarn | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| | V Razzano | 5 | 2 | | 6 | S Kuznetsova | 6$^3$ | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | V Webb | 0 | 5 | | | A Molik | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Molik | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | A Molik | 4 | 6 | 1 | | | | | |
| | K Liggan | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | T Tanasugarn | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R Fujiwara | 3 | 6 | 2 | | K Liggan | 2 | 6 | 6$^1$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | T Tanasugarn | 6 | 1 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | |