Tomoka Miyazaki broke down in tears after falling in straight games to China’s Chen Yufei in the women’s team badminton final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, shouldering the blame for failing to deliver when her team needed her most.
Miyazaki Falls in Straight Games to Chen Yufei
World No. 7 Miyazaki dropped a 0-2 (10-21, 11-21) decision to fourth-ranked Chen in just 40 minutes during the third singles match at Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Faces Deficit in Opening Clashes
The loss capped a difficult afternoon for the Japanese squad on Feb. 24. Japan entered the final facing an uphill battle after Akane Yamaguchi, ranked third in the world, dropped a tight 1-2 (21-14, 19-21, 17-21) match to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi in the opening singles clash.
In the ensuing first doubles rubber, world No. 3 pair Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto fell 0-2 (16-21, 23-25) to top-ranked Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, leaving Miyazaki with the heavy burden of keeping Japan’s hopes alive.
Struggles Against Punishing Smashes
Miyazaki struggled to find her footing against Chen from the opening rallies. The first game slipped away at 10-21, and the second quickly unraveled as Miyazaki conceded four consecutive points early on, ultimately losing 11-21.
Japanese outlet Nikkan Sports noted that Miyazaki looked hard-pressed simply trying to return her opponent’s punishing smashes throughout the contest.
Contrasting Fortunes on the Court
As the final point settled, Chinese players flooded the court in celebration, running in circles to mark their victory—a stark contrast to a visibly devastated Miyazaki standing on the opposite side of the net.
Deep Regret and Immediate Turnaround
Speaking to reporters after the match with tears in her eyes, Miyazaki expressed deep regret over her performance on the big stage. “I am so disappointed that I couldn’t contribute to the team,” Miyazaki said. “Right now, I don’t really know how to sort out my feelings. It’s just so disappointing.”
The individual tournament schedule offers the singles player a swift opportunity to reset, with matches getting underway on Feb. 25, just one day after the conclusion of the women’s team event. Reflecting on her path to the final, Miyazaki added that she played many good matches and executed strong plays during the team competition, and she aims to carry those positive elements forward into the individual bracket.
