Yuta Watanabe
渡辺 勇大
Watanabe with Hiroyuki Endo
Personal information
CountryJapan
Born (1997-06-13) 13 June 1997
Suginami, Japan
Height1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight56 kg (123 lb)
HandednessLeft
Men's & mixed doubles
Highest ranking4 (MD with Hiroyuki Endo 5 March 2019)
1 (XD with Arisa Higashino 8 November 2022)
Current ranking2 (XD with Arisa Higashino 2 January 2024)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo Mixed doubles
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Basel Mixed doubles
Silver medal – second place 2021 Huelva Mixed doubles
Silver medal – second place 2022 Tokyo Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Copenhagen Mixed doubles
Sudirman Cup
Silver medal – second place 2019 Nanning Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2021 Vantaa Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Gold Coast Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Suzhou Mixed team
Thomas Cup
Silver medal – second place 2018 Bangkok Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Aarhus Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Bangkok Men's team
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2022 Hangzhou Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta–Palembang Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Men's team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Wuhan Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Manila Mixed doubles
Asia Team Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Manila Men's team
Asia Mixed Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Ho Chi Minh Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2019 Hong Kong Mixed team
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Alor Setar Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Alor Setar Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Lima Boys' doubles
Asian Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Taipei Boys' doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Taipei Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Bangkok Boys' singles
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Bangkok Mixed team
BWF profile

Yuta Watanabe (渡辺 勇大, Watanabe Yūta, born 13 June 1997) is a Japanese badminton player.[1] He is a member of the Nihon Unisys team, and national team A representative.[2] Known for his quick and explosive movements with signature drop shots on court, Watanabe has won the mixed doubles bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics,[3] as well as being four-time BWF World Championships medalists.

Career

Early years

Watanabe started his career in badminton when he joined the Kodaira junior club in Tokyo in 2005. He had shown his talent in badminton when he won some national event when he was in the elementary school. He made a partnership with Arisa Higashino as his senior in Tomioka Dai-ichi Junior High School in 2012.[2]

Watanabe was selected to join national junior team competed at the 2014 Asian Junior Championships, and helped the team win the mixed team bronze medal. He also settled for another bronze medal in the boys' doubles event partnered with Kenya Mitsuhashi. At the World Junior Championships in Alor Setar, Malaysia, he won the bronze medals in the mixed doubles event with Arisa Higashino and in the mixed team event.[4][5] In June 2014, he made his first appearance in the senior international event at the Japan Open, competed in the mixed doubles with Higashino, but the duo was defeated in the first round. He captured two titles at the 2014 Korea Junior Open in the boys' and mixed doubles event teamed-up with Mitsuhashi and Chiharu Shida respectively.

Watanabe started the 2015 season, by winning the boys' doubles title at the Dutch Junior tournament with Kenya Mitsuhashi, and finished as the semi-finalists in the mixed doubles with Chiharu Shida, and later won the mixed doubles title in German Junior tournament. In July, he competed at the Asian Junior Championships, clinched the bronze medals in the boys' singles and mixed team events. He reached his first final in the senior international event at the 2015 Russian Open a BWF Grand Prix tournament. At the Danish Junior Cup, he clinched two titles by winning the boys' singles and doubles events. In November, he won the boys' doubles bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru.

In 2016, Watanabe won his first senior title at Vietnam International Challenge in the mixed doubles paired-up with Higashino, besides that he became a runner-up in the men's doubles with Mitsuhashi.[6] In 2017, Watanabe started a new partnership with Hiroyuki Endo in the men's doubles. The notional points they both have managed them to compete in the Superseries event; while he and Higashino also have sufficient ranking to entered the Superseries stage. The best achievement during the season is to reach the semi-finals at German Open and Malaysia Masters in the men's doubles, and also semi-finals at the All England Open in the mixed doubles.

2018: Break to top 5 BWF rankings in both mixed and men's doubles; All England Open title

Significant progress occurs in 2018 season. Watanabe with his partner Higashino in the mixed doubles and Endo in the men's doubles are able to break the international doubles stage by reaching third and five place in the BWF rankings. Watanabe and Higashino became the first mixed doubles from Japan to win the All England Open since the tournament was first contested in 1899.[7] En route to the finals, they beating the top three seeds,[8] and then clinched the title after defeating the fifth seeded pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong in the rubber game.[7] Both also finished in the semi-finals at the Malaysia, Japan, French, and Fuzhou China Opens; and in the year-end tournament BWF World Tour Finals. Meanwhile, paired with Endo, they won the Korean Open title; and finished as finalists in the Malaysia Open, Thailand Open and World Tour Finals.

2021

In March, Watanabe won both the men's and mixed doubles disciplines in the All England Open with Hiroyuki Endo and Arisa Higashino. He was the first player in over 19 years to accomplish such a feat.[9] In July, he competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men's doubles partnering Endo, and in the mixed doubles with Higashino. Watanabe and Endo's pace was stopped in the quarter-finals to eventual gold medalists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, while in the mixed doubles, Watanabe and Higashino clinched a bronze medal after winning the bronze medal game against Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet in straight games.[10][11]

Achievements

Olympic Games

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2020 Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Tokyo, Japan Japan Arisa Higashino Hong Kong Tang Chun Man
Hong Kong Tse Ying Suet		 21–17, 23–21 Bronze

World Championships

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2019 St. Jakobshalle,
Basel, Switzerland		 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 11–21, 15–21 Bronze Bronze
2021 Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín,
Huelva, Spain		 Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 13–21, 14–21 Silver Silver
2022 Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium,
Tokyo, Japan		 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 13–21, 16–21 Silver Silver
2023 Royal Arena,
Copenhagen, Denmark		 Japan Arisa Higashino South Korea Seo Seung-jae
South Korea Chae Yoo-jung		 15–21, 13–21 Bronze Bronze

Asian Games

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2022 Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 15–21, 14–21 Silver Silver

Asian Championships

Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2019 Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium,
Wuhan, China		 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Indonesia Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
Indonesia Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo		 21–18, 21–3 Gold Gold

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2022 Muntinlupa Sports Complex,
Metro Manila, Philippines		 Japan Arisa Higashino China Wang Yilyu
China Huang Dongping		 12–21, 22–24 Bronze Bronze

World Junior Championships

Boys' doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Centro de Alto Rendimiento de la Videna,
Lima, Peru		 Japan Kenya Mitsuhashi China He Jiting
China Zheng Siwei		 13–21, 16–21 Bronze Bronze

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2014 Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim,
Alor Setar, Malaysia		 Japan Arisa Higashino China Huang Kaixiang
China Chen Qingchen		 19–21, 12–21 Bronze Bronze

Asian Junior Championships

Boys' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2015 CPB Badminton Training Center, Bangkok, Thailand China Lin Guipu 10–21, 12–21 Bronze Bronze

Boys' doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2014 Taipei Gymnasium,
Taipei, Taiwan		 Japan Kenya Mitsuhashi China Huang Kaixiang
China Zheng Siwei		 10–21, 8–21 Bronze Bronze

BWF World Tour (15 titles, 14 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[12] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[13]

Men's doubles

YearTournamentLevelPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2018 Malaysia Open Super 750 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Japan Takeshi Kamura
Japan Keigo Sonoda		 8–21, 10–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2018 Thailand Open Super 500 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Japan Takeshi Kamura
Japan Keigo Sonoda		 17–21, 19–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2018 Korea Open Super 500 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Japan Takuro Hoki
Japan Yugo Kobayashi		 9–21, 21–15, 21–10 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2018 BWF World Tour Finals World Tour Finals Japan Hiroyuki Endo China Li Junhui
China Liu Yuchen		 15–21, 11–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2019 German Open Super 300 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Japan Takeshi Kamura
Japan Keigo Sonoda		 15–21, 21–11, 21–12 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2019 New Zealand Open Super 300 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Indonesia Mohammad Ahsan
Indonesia Hendra Setiawan		 22–20, 15–21, 17–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2019 BWF World Tour Finals World Tour Finals Japan Hiroyuki Endo Indonesia Mohammad Ahsan
Indonesia Hendra Setiawan		 22–24, 19–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2020 All England Open Super 1000 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Indonesia Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
Indonesia Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo		 21–18, 12–21, 21–19 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 All England Open Super 1000 Japan Hiroyuki Endo Japan Takeshi Kamura
Japan Keigo Sonoda		 21–15, 17–21, 21–11 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 All England Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 15–21, 22–20, 21–16 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2018 Hong Kong Open Super 500 Japan Arisa Higashino China Wang Yilyu
China Huang Dongping		 21–18, 21–14 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2019 Malaysia Masters Super 500 Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 21–18, 21–18 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2019 All England Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 17–21, 20–22 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2019 Thailand Open Super 500 Japan Arisa Higashino China Wang Yilyu
China Huang Dongping		 22–24, 21–23 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2019 Hong Kong Open Super 500 Japan Arisa Higashino China He Jiting
China Du Yue		 22–20, 21–16 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 All England Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino Japan Yuki Kaneko
Japan Misaki Matsutomo		 21–14, 21–13 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 Denmark Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 21–18, 21–9 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 French Open Super 750 Japan Arisa Higashino Denmark Mathias Christiansen
Denmark Alexandra Bøje		 21–8, 21–17 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 Indonesia Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 12–21, 13–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2021 BWF World Tour Finals World Tour Finals Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 19–21, 11–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2022 All England Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino China Wang Yilyu
China Huang Dongping		 21–19, 21–19 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2022 Indonesia Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 14–21, 16–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2022 Japan Open Super 750 Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 21–16, 21–23, 18–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 Malaysia Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 19–21, 11–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 India Open Super 750 Japan Arisa Higashino China Wang Yilyu
China Huang Dongping		 Walkover 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2023 Singapore Open Super 750 Japan Arisa Higashino Denmark Mathias Christiansen
Denmark Alexandra Bøje		 14–21, 22–20, 16–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 Indonesia Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino China Zheng Siwei
China Huang Yaqiong		 14–21, 11–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 Japan Open Super 750 Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Sapsiree Taerattanachai		 17–21, 21–16, 21–15 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2024 Malaysia Open Super 1000 Japan Arisa Higashino South Korea Kim Won-ho
South Korea Jeong Na-eun		 21–18, 21–15 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

BWF Grand Prix (1 runner-up)

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Russian Open Japan Arisa Higashino Malaysia Chan Peng Soon
Malaysia Goh Liu Ying		 13–21, 21–23 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (1 title, 2 runners-up)

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2016 Austrian Open Japan Kenya Mitsuhashi England Marcus Ellis
England Chris Langridge		 14–21, 16–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2016 Vietnam International Japan Kenya Mitsuhashi Malaysia Ong Yew Sin
Malaysia Teo Ee Yi		 19–21, 14–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2016 Vietnam International Japan Arisa Higashino Thailand Tinn Isriyanet
Thailand Pacharapun Chochuwong		 21–16, 21–14 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament

Performance timeline

Key
W F SF QF #R RR Q# A G S B NH N/A DNQ
(W) won; (F) finalist; (SF) semi-finalist; (QF) quarter-finalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze medal; (NH) not held; (N/A) not applicable; (DNQ) did not qualify.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

National team

  • Junior level
Team events20142015Ref
Asian Junior Championships B B
World Junior Championships B 4th [5]
  • Senior level
Team events2017201820192020202120222023
Asia Team Championships NH QF NH A NH A NH
Asia Mixed Team Championships G NH S NH QF
Asian Games NH B NH B NH
Thomas Cup NH S NH B B NH
Sudirman Cup B NH S NH S NH B

Individual competitions

Junior level

  • Boys' singles
Event2015
Asia Junior Championships B
World Junior Championships 2R
  • Boys' doubles
Event20142015
Asia Junior Championships B 1R
World Junior Championships 1R B
  • Mixed doubles
Event2014Ref
Asia Junior Championships 3R
World Junior Championships B [4]

Senior level

Men's singles
TournamentGrand PrixBest
2015
Russian Open 1R 1R ('15)
Year-end ranking 1,091 973
Men's doubles
Event2017201820192020Ref
Asian Championships 2R QF G NH
World Championships 2R 3R 2R NH
Olympic Games NH QF [10]
TournamentBWF Superseries / Grand PrixBWF World TourBestRef
2015201620172018201920202021
Syed Modi International A 1R A NH 1R ('18)
German Open A SF 1R W NH W ('19)
All England Open A 1R SF 2R W W W ('20, '21) [9]
Korea Open A W 2R NH W ('18)
Korea Masters A QF A NH QF ('16)
Thailand Open A F SF NH F ('18)
Indonesia Masters A NH 1R QF A QF ('19)
Indonesia Open A 1R 2R QF NH A QF ('19)
Malaysia Open A 1R F 1R NH F ('18)
Malaysia Masters A SF 2R QF A NH SF ('17)
Singapore Open A 1R A 2R NH 2R ('19)
Japan Open A 2R A 1R QF NH QF ('19)
U.S. Open A 2R A NH 2R ('16)
Denmark Open A 1R QF w/d A QF ('19)
French Open A 2R SF NH A SF ('19)
Hong Kong Open A 2R A 1R SF NH SF ('19)
Australian Open A 2R A 1R NH 2R ('17)
New Zealand Open A F NH F ('19)
China Open A 1R 1R 1R QF NH QF ('19)
China Masters A 2R 2R NH 2R ('18, '19)
Russian Open 2R A NH 2R ('15)
U.S. Grand Prix 1R N/A NH 1R ('15)
Superseries / World Tour Finals DNQ F F DNQ F ('18, '19)
Year-end ranking 224 62 27 5 6 5 5 4
Tournament2015201620172018201920202021Best
Mixed doubles
Event20172018201920202021202220232024Ref
Asian Championships 1R 2R QF NH B w/d
Asian Games NH QF NH S NH
World Championships 2R 3R B NH S S B NH
Olympic Games NH B NH [11]
TournamentBWF Superseries / Grand PrixBWF World TourBestRef
20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Malaysia Open A 1R SF 1R NH 1R F W W ('24)
India Open A 1R A W W ('23)
Indonesia Masters A NH 1R SF A SF A w/d SF ('19, '21)
German Open A 1R 2R QF NH 1R 2R QF ('19)
All England Open A SF W F 2R W W 2R W ('18, '21, '22) [7][9]
Malaysia Masters A 1R W A NH QF A W ('19)
Thailand Open A 1R F NH SF A F ('19)
Singapore Open A 1R A 1R NH A F F ('23)
Indonesia Open A 2R QF 1R NH F F F F ('21, '22, '23)
Canada Open A NH A QF QF ('23)
U.S. Open A 2R A NH A 2R ('16)
Korea Open A QF QF NH A SF SF ('23)
Japan Open 1R Q8 2R A SF QF NH F W W ('23)
Australian Open A 1R A SF NH w/d w/d SF ('19)
China Open A QF 1R QF QF NH QF QF ('16, '18, '19, '23)
Hong Kong Open A 2R A W W NH w/d W ('18, '19)
Denmark Open A 1R 1R w/d W QF 2R W ('21)
French Open A SF SF NH W w/d SF W ('21)
Hylo Open A w/d A —
Korea Masters A 2R A NH A 2R ('16)
Japan Masters NH SF SF ('23)
China Masters A SF A SF SF NH 1R SF ('16, '18, '19)
Superseries / World Tour Finals DNQ SF SF DNQ F w/d SF F ('21)
New Zealand Open A QF A NH QF ('16)
Russian Open A F A NH F ('15)
Year-end ranking 421 184 22 29 3 3 5 4 4 2 1
Tournament20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024Best

References

  1. ↑ "Players: Yuta Watanabe". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "渡辺 勇大 Yuta Watanabe". Unisys (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  3. ↑ "Japan's Arisa Higashino and Yuta Watanabe win bronze in mixed doubles badminton". The Japan Times. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Jati BWF World Junior Championships 2014 (Eye-Level Cup)". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 "BWF World Junior Championships 2014 – Day 5: It's Eka Putri's Day". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Vietnam wins two gold medals at Hanoi Challenger". VietnamBreakingNews. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Alleyne, Gayle (18 March 2018). "'Wata' Win! – Doubles Finals: Yonex All England Open 2018". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "All England SF – A long day to the finals". Badzine. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Sukumar, Dev; Pierre, Dianne (22 March 2021). "All England: Watanabe's Double the Highlight of Japan's Sweep". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Badminton - WATANABE Yuta". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Japan's WATANABE Yuta and HIGASHINO Arisa win badminton mixed doubles bronze". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  13. ↑ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
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