Yuka Miyazaki, Next-Generation Badminton Queen, Inspires Hope on the Road to the LA Olympics

At the Daihatsu Japan Open, she was eliminated in the second round

It turned out to be a bittersweet homecoming match.

From July 15 to 20, the Japan Open badminton tournament was held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Competing in her first major domestic event since graduating from high school, Tomoka Miyazaki (18), in women’s singles, was eliminated in the second round.

Miyazaki began playing the sport at age six under the influence of her mother and quickly showed exceptional talent, leading her to enroll at powerhouse Yanai Commercial High School in Yamaguchi Prefecture. While still a student, she won the World Junior Championships, earning the nickname “child prodigy.” This year, she joined the corporate team ACT SAIKYO in Yamaguchi and has already claimed titles on the BWF World Tour as part of the Japanese national team, propelling her world ranking to No. 6. Hopes are already high for her to shine at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Unlike senior greats Akane Yamaguchi (28) and Nozomi Okuhara (30), Miyazaki boasts a distinctive advantage—her 164 cm height. Sportswriter Takaya Hirano explains:

“Her strength lies in an attacking style that capitalizes on her height. With swift footwork, she positions herself under the shuttle and uses a wide variety of shots from a high contact point.

What supports that strength is her keen ability to read the game. She can decide whether to go for a net shot or aim deep into the opponent’s court, catching rivals off guard. Her arsenal includes powerful smashes, sharp net cuts, and deep clears that push her opponents back. She constantly forces them into three-way guessing situations while striking against their expectations.”

Off court, she reveals a more innocent side behind the uniform. She often visits Tokyo Disneyland in her free time, and her playful personality shows in her fashion—such as mismatching the colors of her shoelaces. This gap between her fierce play and her youthful charm captivates fans, with her Instagram following surpassing 170,000.

The evolution she showed in defeat

Although Miyazaki boasts both high popularity and ability, she now faces a new challenge that has come with her rise: the mental shift from being the one chasing to being the one chased. More often than not, she now competes against players of equal or lower ranking, and Hirano observes, “When things don’t go smoothly, she starts to get frustrated, and her mistakes increase.” Under the pressure of expectations that she must win, once she loses her rhythm, she struggles to recover.

“When she can’t execute attacks that catch her opponent off guard, her shot selection narrows, making her predictable and giving her opponent the advantage. At times, this downward spiral of frustration leads to unforced errors and self-destruction.” (ibid.)

This weakness surfaced again in the current tournament. Sports journalist Yoshimi Oriyama, who covered the event on site, recalled her second-round match against the world No. 11 from Indonesia:

“Her strong desire to win the title was written all over her, and her play looked tense. She committed a string of unforced errors and was trailing throughout. On top of that, her opponent’s Miyazaki strategy was effective—by repeatedly targeting the front court, she was able to neutralize Miyazaki’s signature overhead shots.”

Mental resilience and consistency in front-court shots remain areas for growth. Still, signs of progress were visible in her play.

“Even when behind, she showed composure, tenaciously retrieving shots and steering rallies into longer exchanges. In drawn-out rallies, her opponent couldn’t keep aiming only for the net and was forced to vary their play. That gave Miyazaki chances to seize openings and land her trademark high-contact shots. Though the results didn’t come this time, she is still the most promising young player expected to lead Japan’s future. I’m confident she’ll overcome this wall.” (ibid.)

The battle of this next-generation queen has only just begun, as she sets her sights on blooming fully at the Los Angeles Olympics.

From “FRIDAY”, August 8 & 15, 2025 combined issue.