In August 2021, after the cancellation of the Asia Swing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Barnes Tennis Center was allocated a two-year 250 tournament license.

Giscafre's former doubles partner, Jane Stratton, attained co-ownership of the tournament from 1986 until the event's cessation.

Past champions of the tournament include former world No.-1s Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Maria Sharapova.

The tournament's purse doubled to $200,000 in 1989, when the sponsor changed to San Diego–based Great American Bank from Virginia Slims, a cigarette brand owned by Philip Morris.

[1] The tournament moved from the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club to the La Costa Resort and Spa in 1991, when the sponsor was changed to Mazda from Great American, which was in financial decline.

[2] 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.