<figure id="attachment_315673" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315673" style="width: 5380px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c9308aa1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/f3b7ccb6913f65f1eb6ba14238a91665-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315673" class="wp-caption-text">The pair of Kato and Putz show their best smile after winning the French Open (PHOTO: REX/Afro)</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong> I sent an e-mail to Mieu right after she was disqualified to cheer her up. I know it must be tough, but people all over the world are cheering for you. Everyone is on your side, so don&#8217;t worry. I wasn&#8217;t worried because she has a strong core.</strong></p>
<p> This is how Takahiro Nonaka, coach at Public Tennis Takaragaike (Sakyo-ku, Kyoto), where Miu Kato, 28, won the mixed doubles title at the French Open, one of the world&#8217;s four major tennis tournaments, on June 8.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> It was a dramatic victory.</p>
<p> In the third round of the women&#8217;s doubles tournament on June 4, Kato hit a ball toward the opponent&#8217;s court that hit the ball girl. The opposing pair protested insistently, and Kato was disqualified for dangerous behavior. Kato, sobbing, immediately apologized to the ball girls and fans on her SNS. He stressed that it was unintentional.</p>
<h2> I think I&#8217;ll go home now.</h2>
<p> Four days after her disappointing disqualification, she reached the mixed doubles final. The German pair of Tim Putz and Kato played a hard-fought match tiebreaker.</p>
<p><strong> Tim Putz and Kato of Germany played a hard-fought match tie-breaker!　Katoh!&#8221;</strong></p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> The crowd cheered loudly. The yell pushed Kato and Putz, who had lost the first set, to come from behind to win their first major four-match tournament title. Kato, who had been feeling down, said, &#8220;I think I&#8217;ll go home now. At the awards ceremony on the center court, Kato read from a speech he had prepared, saying, &#8220;My English is not very good.</p>
<p><strong> It has been challenging up to this point. It has been mentally challenging as well. I received positive strength from everyone and was able to do my best.&#8221;</strong></p>
<p> Toward the end of the speech, he was moved to tears. Coach Nonaka, his former mentor, said, &#8220;Immediately after winning the championship, [I] congratulated you.</p>
<p><strong> Immediately after winning the championship, I sent a congratulatory e-mail to him, saying, &#8216;Congratulations. The reply was typical of the caring Miyu. I asked her if she was okay with the fact that Coach Nonaka would be busy with interviews. She is a girl who can make the most of adversity.</strong></p>
<p> Kato also showed consideration for her opponent in the women&#8217;s doubles, who had disqualified her after persistent protests, by saying in her victory interview: &#8220;Let&#8217;s play a good match again somewhere else.</p>
<p><strong> Let&#8217;s play a good match again somewhere. I want to tell them that.</strong></p>
<p> The audience applauded loudly for a while.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Photo of the daring play with her skirt flipped up"></div>
<figure id="attachment_315674" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315674" style="width: 652px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f0c01d9c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/4aa84740dff3fdab6d7f37fa3d4b8bd2.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315674" class="wp-caption-text">Kato apologizes to the ball girl who cried after being hit by a pitch (PHOTO: Kyodo News)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315675" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315675" style="width: 2756px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="29281faa"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/742ae34d1db29a56e92c6d006a8388bc.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315675" class="wp-caption-text"> Kato has attracted attention since her junior days.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315676" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315676" style="width: 3059px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e73ca531"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/7b5dff9442f9b160c85cc599969f31d1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315676" class="wp-caption-text"> World No. 30 in doubles, No. 122 in singles</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315677" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315677" style="width: 4000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6bd2eea6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/a8b3920f8e091f7b1e25408663a2d040.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315677" class="wp-caption-text"> She started playing tennis at the age of 8 and was runner-up in the Australian Open Junior Women&#8217;s Doubles in 2011.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315678" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315678" style="width: 3060px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="0494765a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/c95002b7c860fef2add70c311f45ea6e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315678" class="wp-caption-text"> She is 156 cm tall and plays for Xymax.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315679" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315679" style="width: 3000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="31d25826"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/e64918f4db64e585e7f53bb3ecff9c21.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315679" class="wp-caption-text"> She reached the semifinals of the Japan Women&#8217;s Open Singles Tournament in 2005.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315680" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315680" style="width: 4589px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8608f9bb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/1cfb10292cad535cfb94fcdbfc659cc4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315680" class="wp-caption-text"> Winner of three women&#8217;s doubles titles on tour</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315681" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315681" style="width: 3059px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="42179f8b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/8dfdec6fbd2c5d292e3b6321d45c677a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315681" class="wp-caption-text"> At the award ceremony of the &#8217;20 BEAT COVID-19 Open Women&#8217;s Singles</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_315682" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315682" style="width: 5767px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fd15e626"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/240c9422cf1fe2f5214aeac846c985e7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315682" class="wp-caption-text"> (Both were a hastily formed pair formed with Putz two minutes before the entry deadline because they couldn&#8217;t find a partner until just before the event.</figcaption></figure>


 REX/Afro Afro Sports Kyodo News Jiji Press

 Miui Kato won the French Open tennis tournament. The ball hit the ball girl and she was disqualified. From the bottom of the barrel, she achieved her first world championship. We introduce the contents of the caring e-mail and her beautiful face revealed by her former teacher with treasured photos!

Dramatic V at the French Tennis Championships after a disappointing disqualification&#8230;Mimai Kato: &#8220;My mentor reveals her caring, tearful e-mail and bold shot&#8221; Photo

Dramatic V at the French Tennis Championships after a disappointing disqualification…Mimai Kato: “My mentor reveals her caring, tearful e-mail and bold shot” Photo

Access Ranking