Professional tennis player Miyu Kato, a native of Kyoto, will be honored with the Kyoto City Sports Grand Prize on Nov. 11, 2026, after winning women’s doubles titles at the Athens Open and the Austin 125 this season, City of Kyoto reported. The same day, the city will accept a 1 million yen donation from Kato earmarked for the future of junior athletes in her hometown.
The twin ceremonies take place at Kyoto City Hall’s main building, third floor, First Reception Room, with the donation reception scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. local time (06:30–06:45 UTC) and the award ceremony immediately after, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (06:45–07:00 UTC). Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui is slated to present the award, with City Assembly president Akira Shimomura handing over the commemorative gift.
Kato’s 1 Million Yen Gift to Kyoto Junior Sports
The donation, listed at 1,000,000 yen, comes with a stated purpose: supporting the next generation of Kyoto’s junior sports players, tennis first among them, and giving back to the city that raised her. Kato will attend the reception alongside her father, Hiroki Kato, and her grandmother, Noriko Kimura. On the receiving side are Mayor Matsui, assembly member Kazuhiro Terada and Hagiwara Koichi, the city’s sports director.
The program for the 15-minute reception runs from a greeting by Kato through a gift presentation, a certificate of appreciation, thanks from the city, conversation and a commemorative photo.
Two 2026 Doubles Titles Trigger the Honor
The Sports Grand Prize citation cites Kato’s two victories on the women’s doubles circuit this year: the Athens Open and the Austin 125. Both titles came in 2026, according to the city’s announcement, and they extend a run of high finishes that already includes a mixed doubles crown at the 2023 French Open — the achievement that earned her the city’s highest sports honor that year.
Kato’s record with the city runs deep. Beyond the 2023 highest honor, she has collected nine Sports Grand Prizes and one Sports Honor Award across her career, dating back to her teenage years, when she won the under-18 girls’ singles at the 2012 All Japan Junior Tennis Championships.
Kato’s Kyoto City Award History, Season by Season
Earlier milestones in the city’s records include a fourth-place doubles finish at the 2017 Australian Open (Sports Honor Award), a W100 ITF doubles runner-up finish in Charleston in 2021, a doubles title at a Canadian ITF event in 2019, and a junior doubles runner-up finish at the Australian Open in 2011.
What Happens at City Hall on Nov. 11
The award ceremony follows the donation reception in the same room. Mayor Matsui will present the certificate, Assembly president Shimomura the commemorative gift, and both will offer congratulatory remarks before Kato delivers her response, with conversation and photos to close the 15-minute session. City officials attending include assembly members Terada and Hagiwara Koichi and the culture and citizens’ bureau sports director.
Questions Readers Are Asking About Kato’s Kyoto Ceremony
- How much is Miyu Kato donating to Kyoto City? The gift is 1,000,000 yen, directed toward junior sports development in Kyoto.
- When and where is the award ceremony? Nov. 11, 2026, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time at Kyoto City Hall’s main building, third floor, First Reception Room.
- Why is she receiving the Sports Grand Prize now? City of Kyoto cites her 2026 women’s doubles titles at the Athens Open and the Austin 125.
- Has Kato been honored by Kyoto before? Yes — nine prior Sports Grand Prizes, one Sports Honor Award, and the Sports Highest Honor Award for the 2023 French Open mixed doubles title.
The Nov. 11 ceremony closes out a 2026 season in which Kato converted two doubles titles into the city’s top annual sports prize — and turned that success into a seven-figure contribution for Kyoto’s young athletes.
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