午夜剧场

I first experienced padel during university when a tennis senior invited me. That encounter changed my life significantly. In Spain, where padel is thriving, it is the second most popular sport after soccer, with over 30 million players worldwide. The court is about half the size of a tennis court and surrounded by glass. The depth of the sport, which uses a 360-degree three-dimensional space and diverse tactics, is unforgettable once experienced. Since it is a doubles sport, communication with your partner is key. Because the distance between players is close and strategy is not determined solely by speed or power, it can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages.

I started training seriously when I was 21. It took two to three hours round-trip to get to the court, and I spent my travel time studying every day; it felt nostalgic, like my high school days. Although my practice time was limited, fortunately, my competitive results improved steadily, and I became the youngest person to win the Japanese national championship. I visited Spain to train, thinking, "I want to go beyond Japan to the home of padel!" This experience further deepened my competitive level and my perspective on the sport. In Spain, it was normal to see children gathering to socialize after school or people playing padel while enjoying cafes and bars. I was captivated by this social sport that anyone can enjoy and interact through, and I began to feel strongly that I wished I had discovered it sooner, and that I wanted to spread padel in Japan so it could develop into a sport enjoyed by everyone from children to adults. At the same time, as an athlete, I aimed to become the first person from Asia to participate in the highest-level international tournaments and break into the Top 50. In 2024, I decided to become the first Asian woman to compete as a professional player.

For six months last year, I was based in Europe and worked hard training with professionals. My days were filled with work, practice, and expeditions in a foreign country with a different language and culture. I also faced the difficulty of managing my livelihood in a foreign land while living as an athlete in a minor sport. At that time, there was no precedent for an Asian woman challenging international tournaments, so I was often looked at with curiosity—people wondered, "From Asia?"—and it was not easy to enter a high-level competitive environment or blend into the local circles. However, gaining match experience in the home of the sport and having my abilities recognized by top-ranking players and coaches brought me joy and made me realize once again the fun of taking on the world. As an athlete, I want to continue challenging myself to overcome barriers that no one from Asia has achieved yet. Through my connection with the world, I want to work on promotional activities that combine "sports" that everyone can enjoy with health and international exchange involving world cultures, expanding a warm circle of people.

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.