Yuta Watanabe (badminton)
Yuta Watanabe (渡辺 勇大, Watanabe Yūta, born 13 June 1997) is a Japanese badminton player.[1] He is a member of the Nihon Unisys team, and national team A representative.[2] Known for his quick and explosive movements with signature drop shots on court, Watanabe, together with Arisa Higashino, had won 2 consecutive bronze medals in the mixed doubles event at the 2020[3] and 2024 Summer Olympics,[4] as well as being four-time BWF World Championships medalists.
Career
[edit]Early years
[edit]Watanabe started his career in badminton when he joined the Kodaira junior club in Tokyo in 2005. He had shown his talent in badminton when he won some national event when he was in the elementary school. He made a partnership with Arisa Higashino as his senior in Tomioka Dai-ichi Junior High School in 2012.[2]
Watanabe was selected to join national junior team competed at the 2014 Asian Junior Championships, and helped the team win the mixed team bronze medal. He also settled for another bronze medal in the boys' doubles event partnered with Kenya Mitsuhashi. At the World Junior Championships in Alor Setar, Malaysia, he won the bronze medals in the mixed doubles event with Arisa Higashino and in the mixed team event.[5][6] In June 2014, he made his first appearance in the senior international event at the Japan Open, competed in the mixed doubles with Higashino, but the duo was defeated in the first round. He captured two titles at the 2014 Korea Junior Open in the boys' and mixed doubles event teamed-up with Mitsuhashi and Chiharu Shida respectively.
Watanabe started the 2015 season, by winning the boys' doubles title at the Dutch Junior tournament with Kenya Mitsuhashi, and finished as the semi-finalists in the mixed doubles with Chiharu Shida, and later won the mixed doubles title in German Junior tournament. In July, he competed at the Asian Junior Championships, clinched the bronze medals in the boys' singles and mixed team events. He reached his first final in the senior international event at the 2015 Russian Open a BWF Grand Prix tournament. At the Danish Junior Cup, he clinched two titles by winning the boys' singles and doubles events. In November, he won the boys' doubles bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru.
In 2016, Watanabe won his first senior title at Vietnam International Challenge in the mixed doubles paired-up with Higashino, besides that he became a runner-up in the men's doubles with Mitsuhashi.[7] In 2017, Watanabe started a new partnership with Hiroyuki Endo in the men's doubles. The notional points they both have managed them to compete in the Superseries event; while he and Higashino also have sufficient ranking to entered the Superseries stage. The best achievement during the season is to reach the semi-finals at German Open and Malaysia Masters in the men's doubles, and also semi-finals at the All England Open in the mixed doubles.
2018: Break to top 5 BWF rankings in both mixed and men's doubles; All England Open title
[edit]Significant progress occurs in 2018 season. Watanabe with his partner Higashino in the mixed doubles and Endo in the men's doubles are able to break the international doubles stage by reaching third and five place in the BWF rankings. Watanabe and Higashino became the first mixed doubles from Japan to win the All England Open since the tournament was first contested in 1899.[8] En route to the finals, they beating the top three seeds,[9] and then clinched the title after defeating the fifth seeded pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong in the rubber game.[8] Both also finished in the semi-finals at the Malaysia, Japan, French, and Fuzhou China Opens; and in the year-end tournament BWF World Tour Finals. Meanwhile, paired with Endo, they won the Korean Open title; and finished as finalists in the Malaysia Open, Thailand Open and World Tour Finals.
2021
[edit]In March, Watanabe won both the men's and mixed doubles disciplines in the All England Open with Hiroyuki Endo and Arisa Higashino. He was the first player in over 19 years to accomplish such a feat.[10] In July, he competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men's doubles partnering Endo, and in the mixed doubles with Higashino. Watanabe and Endo's pace was stopped in the quarter-finals to eventual gold medalists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, while in the mixed doubles, Watanabe and Higashino clinched a bronze medal after winning the bronze medal game against Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet in straight games.[11][12]
Achievements
[edit]Olympic Games
[edit]Mixed doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Tokyo, Japan | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–17, 23–21 | ![]() |
2024 | Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–13, 22–20 | ![]() |
World Championships
[edit]Mixed doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland |
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![]() ![]() |
11–21, 15–21 | ![]() |
2021 | Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín, Huelva, Spain |
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![]() ![]() |
13–21, 14–21 | ![]() |
2022 | Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan |
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![]() ![]() |
13–21, 16–21 | ![]() |
2023 | Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark |
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![]() ![]() |
15–21, 13–21 | ![]() |
Asian Games
[edit]Mixed doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
15–21, 14–21 | ![]() |
Asian Championships
[edit]Men's doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium, Wuhan, China |
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![]() ![]() |
21–18, 21–3 | ![]() |
Mixed doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Metro Manila, Philippines |
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![]() ![]() |
12–21, 22–24 | ![]() |
World Junior Championships
[edit]Boys' doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Centro de Alto Rendimiento de la Videna, Lima, Peru |
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13–21, 16–21 | ![]() |
Mixed doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim, Alor Setar, Malaysia |
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![]() ![]() |
19–21, 12–21 | ![]() |
Asian Junior Championships
[edit]Boys' singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | CPB Badminton Training Center, Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() |
10–21, 12–21 | ![]() |
Boys' doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Taipei Gymnasium, Taipei, Taiwan |
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10–21, 8–21 | ![]() |
BWF World Tour (15 titles, 15 runners-up)
[edit]The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[13] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[14]
Men's doubles
Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Malaysia Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
8–21, 10–21 | ![]() |
2018 | Thailand Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
17–21, 19–21 | ![]() |
2018 | Korea Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
9–21, 21–15, 21–10 | ![]() |
2018 | BWF World Tour Finals | World Tour Finals | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
15–21, 11–21 | ![]() |
2019 | German Open | Super 300 | ![]() |
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15–21, 21–11, 21–12 | ![]() |
2019 | New Zealand Open | Super 300 | ![]() |
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22–20, 15–21, 17–21 | ![]() |
2019 | BWF World Tour Finals | World Tour Finals | ![]() |
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22–24, 19–21 | ![]() |
2020 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
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21–18, 12–21, 21–19 | ![]() |
2021 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–15, 17–21, 21–11 | ![]() |
Mixed doubles
Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
15–21, 22–20, 21–16 | ![]() |
2018 | Hong Kong Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–18, 21–14 | ![]() |
2019 | Malaysia Masters | Super 500 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–18, 21–18 | ![]() |
2019 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
17–21, 20–22 | ![]() |
2019 | Thailand Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
22–24, 21–23 | ![]() |
2019 | Hong Kong Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
22–20, 21–16 | ![]() |
2021 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–14, 21–13 | ![]() |
2021 | Denmark Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–18, 21–9 | ![]() |
2021 | French Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–8, 21–17 | ![]() |
2021 | Indonesia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
12–21, 13–21 | ![]() |
2021 | BWF World Tour Finals | World Tour Finals | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
19–21, 11–21 | ![]() |
2022 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–19, 21–19 | ![]() |
2022 | Indonesia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
14–21, 16–21 | ![]() |
2022 | Japan Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–16, 21–23, 18–21 | ![]() |
2023 | Malaysia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
19–21, 11–21 | ![]() |
2023 | India Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Walkover | ![]() |
2023 | Singapore Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
14–21, 22–20, 16–21 | ![]() |
2023 | Indonesia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
14–21, 11–21 | ![]() |
2023 | Japan Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
17–21, 21–16, 21–15 | ![]() |
2024 | Malaysia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–18, 21–15 | ![]() |
2024 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
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16–21, 11–21 | ![]() |
BWF Grand Prix (1 runner-up)
[edit]The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.
Mixed doubles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Russian Open | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
13–21, 21–23 | ![]() |
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series (1 title, 2 runners-up)
[edit]Men's doubles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Austrian Open | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
14–21, 16–21 | ![]() |
2016 | Vietnam International | ![]() |
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19–21, 14–21 | ![]() |
Mixed doubles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Vietnam International | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–16, 21–14 | ![]() |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
Performance timeline
[edit]- Key
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | G | S | B | NH | N/A | DNQ |
National team
[edit]- Junior level
Team events | 2014 | 2015 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Asian Junior Championships | B | B | |
World Junior Championships | B | 4th | [6] |
- Senior level
Team events | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asia Team Championships | NH | QF | NH | A | NH | A | NH |
Asia Mixed Team Championships | G | NH | S | NH | QF | ||
Asian Games | NH | B | NH | B | NH | ||
Thomas Cup | NH | S | NH | B | B | NH | |
Sudirman Cup | B | NH | S | NH | S | NH | B |
Individual competitions
[edit]Junior level
[edit]- Boys' singles
Event | 2015 |
---|---|
Asia Junior Championships | B |
World Junior Championships | 2R |
- Boys' doubles
Event | 2014 | 2015 |
---|---|---|
Asia Junior Championships | B | 1R |
World Junior Championships | 1R | B |
- Mixed doubles
Event | 2014 | Ref |
---|---|---|
Asia Junior Championships | 3R | |
World Junior Championships | B | [5] |
Senior level
[edit]Men's singles
[edit]Tournament | Grand Prix | Best |
---|---|---|
2015 | ||
Russian Open | 1R | 1R ('15) |
Year-end ranking | 1,091 | 973 |
Men's doubles
[edit]Event | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Championships | 2R | QF | G | NH | |
World Championships | 2R | 3R | 2R | NH | |
Olympic Games | NH | QF | [11] |
Tournament | BWF Superseries / Grand Prix | BWF World Tour | Best | Ref | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |||
Syed Modi International | A | 1R | A | NH | 1R ('18) | ||||
German Open | A | SF | 1R | W | NH | W ('19) | |||
All England Open | A | 1R | SF | 2R | W | W | W ('20, '21) | [10] | |
Korea Open | A | W | 2R | NH | W ('18) | ||||
Korea Masters | A | QF | A | NH | QF ('16) | ||||
Thailand Open | A | F | SF | NH | F ('18) | ||||
Indonesia Masters | A | NH | 1R | QF | A | QF ('19) | |||
Indonesia Open | A | 1R | 2R | QF | NH | A | QF ('19) | ||
Malaysia Open | A | 1R | F | 1R | NH | F ('18) | |||
Malaysia Masters | A | SF | 2R | QF | A | NH | SF ('17) | ||
Singapore Open | A | 1R | A | 2R | NH | 2R ('19) | |||
Japan Open | A | 2R | A | 1R | QF | NH | QF ('19) | ||
U.S. Open | A | 2R | A | NH | 2R ('16) | ||||
Denmark Open | A | 1R | QF | w/d | A | QF ('19) | |||
French Open | A | 2R | SF | NH | A | SF ('19) | |||
Hong Kong Open | A | 2R | A | 1R | SF | NH | SF ('19) | ||
Australian Open | A | 2R | A | 1R | NH | 2R ('17) | |||
New Zealand Open | A | F | NH | F ('19) | |||||
China Open | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | NH | QF ('19) | ||
China Masters | A | 2R | 2R | NH | 2R ('18, '19) | ||||
Russian Open | 2R | A | NH | 2R ('15) | |||||
U.S. Grand Prix | 1R | N/A | NH | 1R ('15) | |||||
Superseries / World Tour Finals | DNQ | F | F | DNQ | F ('18, '19) | ||||
Year-end ranking | 224 | 62 | 27 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
Tournament | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Best |
Mixed doubles
[edit]Event | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Championships | 1R | 2R | QF | NH | B | w/d | QF | ||
Asian Games | NH | QF | NH | S | NH | ||||
World Championships | 2R | 3R | B | NH | S | S | B | NH | |
Olympic Games | NH | B | NH | B | [12] |
Tournament | BWF Superseries / Grand Prix | BWF World Tour | Best | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||
Malaysia Open | A | 1R | SF | 1R | NH | 1R | F | W | W ('24) | ||||
India Open | A | 1R | A | W | QF | W ('23) | |||||||
Indonesia Masters | A | NH | 1R | SF | A | SF | A | w/d | A | SF ('19, '21) | |||
German Open | A | 1R | 2R | QF | NH | 1R | 2R | A | QF ('19) | ||||
French Open | A | SF | SF | NH | W | w/d | SF | QF | W ('21) | ||||
All England Open | A | SF | W | F | 2R | W | W | 2R | F | W ('18, '21, '22) | [8][10] | ||
Thailand Open | A | 1R | F | NH | SF | A | F ('19) | ||||||
Malaysia Masters | A | 1R | W | A | NH | QF | A | W ('19) | |||||
Singapore Open | A | 1R | A | 1R | NH | A | F | 1R | F ('23) | ||||
Indonesia Open | A | 2R | QF | 1R | NH | F | F | F | 1R | F ('21, '22, '23) | |||
Australian Open | A | 1R | A | SF | NH | w/d | w/d | A | SF ('19) | ||||
U.S. Open | A | 2R | A | NH | A | 2R ('16) | |||||||
Canada Open | A | NH | A | QF | A | QF ('23) | |||||||
Japan Open | 1R | Q8 | 2R | A | SF | QF | NH | F | W | QF | W ('23) | ||
Korea Open | A | QF | QF | NH | A | SF | SF ('23) | ||||||
China Open | A | QF | 1R | QF | QF | NH | QF | QF ('16, '18, '19, '23) | |||||
Hong Kong Open | A | 2R | A | W | W | NH | w/d | W ('18, '19) | |||||
Denmark Open | A | 1R | 1R | w/d | W | QF | 2R | W ('21) | |||||
Hylo Open | A | w/d | A | — | |||||||||
Korea Masters | A | 2R | A | NH | A | 2R ('16) | |||||||
Japan Masters | NH | SF | SF ('23) | ||||||||||
China Masters | A | SF | A | SF | SF | NH | 1R | SF ('16, '18, '19) | |||||
Superseries / World Tour Finals | DNQ | SF | SF | DNQ | F | w/d | SF | F ('21) | |||||
New Zealand Open | A | QF | A | NH | QF ('16) | ||||||||
Russian Open | A | F | A | NH | F ('15) | ||||||||
Year-end ranking | 421 | 184 | 22 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | ||
Tournament | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Best |
References
[edit]- ^ "Players: Yuta Watanabe". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ a b "渡辺 勇大 Yuta Watanabe". Unisys (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Japan's Arisa Higashino and Yuta Watanabe win bronze in mixed doubles badminton". The Japan Times. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Arisa Higashino and Yuta Watanabe Collect Their 2nd Straight Bronze in Badminton Mixed Doubles". Japan Forward. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Jati BWF World Junior Championships 2014 (Eye-Level Cup)". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ a b "BWF World Junior Championships 2014 – Day 5: It's Eka Putri's Day". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Vietnam wins two gold medals at Hanoi Challenger". VietnamBreakingNews. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ a b c Alleyne, Gayle (18 March 2018). "'Wata' Win! – Doubles Finals: Yonex All England Open 2018". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "All England SF – A long day to the finals". Badzine. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ a b c Sukumar, Dev; Pierre, Dianne (22 March 2021). "All England: Watanabe's Double the Highlight of Japan's Sweep". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Badminton - WATANABE Yuta". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Japan's WATANABE Yuta and HIGASHINO Arisa win badminton mixed doubles bronze". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
External links
[edit]- Yuta Watanabe at BWF.tournamentsoftware.com
- Yuta Watanabe at BWFbadminton.com
- Yuta Watanabe at Olympics.com
- Yuta Watanabe at Olympedia
- Official website
(in Japanese)
- Yuta Watanabe on X (in Japanese)
- Yuta Watanabe's channel on YouTube (in Japanese)
- 1997 births
- Living people
- People from Suginami
- Japanese male badminton players
- Badminton players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Badminton players at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic badminton players for Japan
- Olympic bronze medalists for Japan
- Olympic medalists in badminton
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Badminton players at the 2018 Asian Games
- Badminton players at the 2022 Asian Games
- Asian Games silver medalists for Japan
- Asian Games bronze medalists for Japan
- Asian Games medalists in badminton
- Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games
- World No. 1 badminton players
- 21st-century Japanese sportsmen
- Sportspeople from Tokyo Metropolis