The All-Japan Tennis Championship opened with a stark contrast in Tokyo on November 6, as reigning champions secured commanding victories while a wave of promising middle school pairs saw their title hopes end in the opening round. The tournament, featuring both the Emperor’s Cup and Empress Cup, began with a notably condensed field, making every match a high-stakes affair from the start.
The Empress Cup, contested by 109 women’s pairs, saw a significant reduction in entries from 182 the previous year.
Challengers’ Early Exit
The tournament’s early rounds were marked by the exit of several top middle school prospects, highlighting the steep jump in competition at the national level. Moe Matsubara/Yuzu Yanagihara (Meito Junior High), who finished second in this summer’s National Junior High School Championships, fell in their first match. The pair from A.STAR.S/Semboku Club, Ai Kasuya/Rio Takahashi, and Meito Junior High’s Rinka Sato/Kumon Kato also saw their campaigns come to an abrupt end.
The most notable upset involved Riko Hosokawa/Honomi Matsuyama (Kyoto Koka Junior High), a duo that had captured both the individual and team titles at the National Junior High School Championships this summer. They were defeated 3-5 by a high school pair that won the Shikoku Championship, a match that showcased the gap in experience on the national stage.
“We charged at them with the mindset of winning,” Matsuyama said. The younger pair’s aggressive style, featuring Hosokawa’s powerful groundstrokes and Matsuyama’s sharp volleys, created moments of brilliance, including an effective double-forward attack. Despite leading 2-1 and 3-2 in games, they could only score three points after the sixth game and ultimately succumbed.
“We barely practiced on hard courts,” Hosokawa explained, noting the challenges posed by the playing surface and their opponents’ composed game management. Despite the loss, Hosokawa looked ahead, “Tennis is different between high school and middle school students. I want to change my play more from next year.” Matsuyama echoed a positive outlook, “It was a great experience to play in such a big tournament.”
Defending Champions’ Strong Start
While up-and-coming pairs were sent packing, the tournament's top seeds lived up to their billing, advanced through the opening rounds easily. The No. 1 seed and defending champions, Shinobu Takahashi/Aya Iwakura (Donguri Kita-Hiroshima), secured a commanding 5-1 victory in their second-round match to advance to the third round on day two.
“The only ones who can challenge for a second title are us,” Iwakura stated. “There is pressure, but we’re not approaching the tournament as last year’s winners trying to defend. We’re going in with the mindset of challengers aiming for two in a row.” Their fast-paced, aggressive style overwhelmed their opponent. Iwakura, who missed the All-Japan Club Championships two weeks ago due to illness, appeared fully recovered, displaying quick and fluid movement on the court. Takahashi also expressed confidence, “The first match is crucial. I focused on moving forward and hitting the ball on the rise, and I feel I was able to make solid contact with the racket.”
Their attacking partnership has been refined over the past year, with Iwakura adding, “I want to show the audience a play, even just a little, that makes them think ‘cool’ or ‘I want to try that.'” Her words reflected the pride and ambition of a defending champion determined to entertain.
Other top contenders also advanced without incident.
The Path Forward
The conclusion of the first day sets the stage for a tightly contested second day. With the field reduced to the strongest remaining pairs, the championship is poised to enter its most critical phase. The focus now shifts to which of the top-seeded pairs can maintain their form and which dark horses might emerge to challenge them.
Hosokawa and Matsuyama, though eliminated from this year’s championship, are focused on the future. With middle school tennis concluded for the season, they reflected on their growth. “It was our last series of junior high tournaments, but I’m glad we saw it through,” Hosokawa said. Matsuyama added, “I’m happy we were able to achieve results that would make our parents proud.” The pair, who will attend the same high school next spring, have set their sights high. “We want to compete in the Inter-High in our first year of high school and aim for the national title,” they declared, showing the resilience and ambition that defines Japan’s next generation of tennis players.
The All-Japan Tennis Championship continues at Ariake Tennis no Mori Park in Tokyo, with the women’s third-round matches scheduled for November 7. The tournament will culminate in the final rounds, where the nation’s best pairs will compete for the prestigious Empress Cup.
