Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan, who rose like a comet by winning the women’s singles title at the 2022 World Junior Badminton Championships held in Santander, Spain.
Following Nozomi Okuhara, Akane Yamaguchi, and Riko Gunji, she became the fourth Japanese player to reach the top of the world junior championships women’s singles, and in 2023 she rose to world number 1 in the BWF World Junior Rankings as the next-generation ace.
In March 2024, she won her first Super 300 title at the BWF Orleans Masters (Super 300), and in September of the same year, she advanced to the final at the China Open (Super 1000), growing beyond a promising talent into a dark horse.
Born in 2006, she is a next-generation national team ace representing Japan in both badminton skill and looks.
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Japan’s Rising Star Tomoka Miyazaki Badminton
Born on August 17, 2006 in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, she graduated from Yanai Junior High School and graduated from Yamaguchi Prefectural Yanai Shoko High School on March 31, 2025. In October 2022, while a first-year student at Yanai Shoko High School, she defeated China’s Yuan Anqi 2 sets to 1 (21-14, 20-22, 21-17) to win the women’s singles title at the World Junior Badminton Championships held in Santander, Spain, emerging as a promising talent.
Following Nozomi Okuhara (2012), Akane Yamaguchi (2013, 2014), and Riko Gunji (2019), she became the fourth Japanese player to reach the top of the world junior championships women’s singles. At the same tournament’s mixed team event, she contributed to Japan winning the bronze medal.
In November 2022, she recorded her first win on the adult stage by winning the women’s singles title at the Slovenia Future Series, at the Challenge level. In 2023, she joined the Japan national team B squad, competing in both junior and senior tournaments concurrently; in July, she led Japan to gold at the Asian Junior Championships mixed team event for the first time since 2012, and by the end of the year she rose to world number 1 in the BWF World Junior Rankings.
From 2023, she began appearing in earnest on the world badminton stage. In the international challenge circuit, she won the women’s singles title at the Saipan International in June, and the week before that she was runner-up at the Northern Marianas Open. In August, she won the women’s singles title at the Guatemala Future Series, and finished runner-up in women’s doubles paired with Maya Taguchi.
In October, she won her first BWF World Tour title at the Indonesia Masters II (Super 100), and in November she reached the final at the Korea Masters (Super 300), marking her first Super 300 final appearance, but lost to Kim Ga-eun to finish runner-up. In addition, she reached the round of 32 at the Japan Masters (Super 500) and the Syed Modi International (Super 300). In 2023 alone, she rapidly climbed from a world ranking of 431st to a then personal best of 39th.
In 2024, she joined the Japan national team A squad, and in March she won her first Super 300 title at the Orleans Masters (Super 300) final, defeating fellow Japanese player Hina Akechi 21-18, 21-12. In the following Swiss Open semifinal, she defeated former world champion P.V. Sindhu in the second round, but failed to reach the final after losing to Olympic champion Carolina Marín.
From April to May, at the Uber Cup (Chengdu, China), she helped lead Japan to a bronze medal. In September, at the China Open (Super 1000), she reached her first Super 1000 final at the age of 18, but lost to Wang Zhiyi to finish runner-up. In addition, she reached the semifinals in succession at the Hong Kong Open (Super 500), Macau Open (Super 300), Arctic Open (Super 500), Korea Masters (Super 300), and China Masters (Super 750), raising her 2024 world ranking to as high as 12th.
In domestic competitions, she won two titles at the National High School Championships in August, winning both the team event and the individual women’s singles event. In December, she defeated Natsuki Nihei in the women’s singles final of the All Japan Badminton Championships, becoming the first high school student to win this tournament in 10 years.
Upon graduating high school in 2025, she turned professional by joining ACT SAIKYO, and on June 10 she recorded a career-high world ranking of 6th. On the BWF World Tour, she won her first title in May at the Taiwan Open (Super 300), and reached the semifinals at the India Open (Super 750) and Thailand Open (Super 500).
In the Thailand Open quarterfinals, she defeated Ratchanok Intanon, but lost to Chen Yufei in the semifinals. At the All England Open (Super 1000), she reached the quarterfinals. In team events, she helped lead Japan to bronze at the Asia Mixed Team Championships in February and the Sudirman Cup held from April to May.
In 2026, she started the season with a second-round exit at the season-opening Malaysia Open, but emerged as one of the hottest players by reaching the quarterfinals at the All England Open in March, the quarterfinals at the Thailand Open in May, and the semifinals at the China Open, and in July she was selected to represent Japan in badminton at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
She is a player who leads matches with a fast tempo and aggressive development, standing out on the singles stage based on refined strokes and quick footwork. Born in 2006, she is at an absolute disadvantage in head-to-head records against top-ranked players due to lack of experience, but she is already a dark horse capable of winning at the Super 1000 level at any time.
Badminton Tomoka Miyazaki Racket & Equipment
- Badminton Racket: NANOFLARE 800 PRO
- String: AEROBITE
- Grip: SUPER GRAP
She is a YONEX-sponsored player, using the NANOFLARE 800 PRO racket. She uses AEROBITE strings and SUPER GRAP grip.
Tomoka Miyazaki Championship History
▶ BWF World Tour (3 titles, 2 runners-up)
- 2023 Indonesia Masters II (Super 100): Defeated Pornpicha Choeikeewong of Thailand 21-9, 21-15, Champion
- 2023 Korea Masters (Super 300): Lost to Kim Ga-eun of Korea 21-19, 17-21, 12-21, Runner-up
- 2024 Orleans Masters (Super 300): Defeated Hina Akechi of Japan 21-18, 21-12, Champion
- 2024 China Open (Super 1000): Lost to Wang Zhiyi of China 17-21, 15-21, Runner-up
- 2025 Taiwan Open (Super 300): Defeated Pitchamon of Thailand 21-12, 20-22, 21-14, Champion
▶ BWF International Challenge/Series (3 titles, 2 runners-up)
Women’s Singles
- 2022 Slovenia Future Series: Defeated Hina Akechi of Japan 21-14, 21-19, Champion
- 2023 Northern Marianas Open: Lost to Kim Ga-ram of Korea 21-15, 23-25, 13-21, Runner-up
- 2023 Saipan International: Defeated Kim Ga-ram of Korea 21-19, 14-21, 21-17, Champion
- 2023 Guatemala Future Series: Defeated Mei Sudo of Japan 21-17, 19-21, 21-11, Champion
Women’s Doubles
- 2023 Guatemala Future Series (Partner: Maya Taguchi): Runner-up
▶ BWF Junior International (1 runner-up)
- 2022 Malaysia Junior International: Lost 17-21, 21-17, 22-24, Runner-up
▶ World Junior Badminton Championships Women’s Singles
- 2022 Santander, Spain: Champion
Tomoka Miyazaki Awards
- Kozuki Foundation Athlete Support Program Grant: 2024 (Award ceremony held in Tokyo on December 18, 1.2 million yen)
- YONEX Sports Foundation Minoru Yoneyama Award: 2025 (Co-awarded with Aya Tamaki, award ceremony held in Tokyo on June 17)
Tomoka Miyazaki Head-to-Head Records by Player
- Chen Yufei (China): 4 matches, 0 wins, 4 losses
- Han Yue (China): 2 matches, 0 wins, 2 losses
- Wang Zhiyi (China): 4 matches, 1 win, 3 losses
- P.V. Sindhu (India): 3 matches, 1 win, 2 losses
- Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia): 1 match, 0 wins, 1 loss
- Putri Kusuma Wardani (Indonesia): 7 matches, 3 wins, 4 losses
- Aya Ohori (Japan): 1 match, 1 win, 0 losses
- Nozomi Okuhara (Japan): 2 matches, 2 wins, 0 losses
- Akane Yamaguchi (Japan): 4 matches, 1 win, 3 losses
- Carolina Marín (Spain): 1 match, 0 wins, 1 loss
- An Se-young (Korea): 7 matches, 0 wins, 7 losses
- Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand): 5 matches, 2 wins, 3 losses
Badminton Tomoka Miyazaki Schedule
- 2026 BWF China Open Super 1000
Born in 2006, she is a member of the Japan national team who possesses both skill and looks, a badminton idol. Although she still trails the top 10 ranked players in head-to-head records, badminton fans around the world are paying attention to both her looks and skill. Please continue to watch and cheer her on to see how far she will grow.
Badminton Tomoka Miyazaki Bio
- English: Tomoka Miyazaki | Japaness: 宮崎 友花 (みやざき ともか)
- Date of Birth: August 17, 2006 (Age 20)
- Hometown: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture | Nationality: Japan
- Height: 164cm | Weight: 49kg | Blood Type: AB | MBTI: | Religion:
- Education: Graduated from Yanai Junior High School, Graduated from Yamaguchi Prefectural Yanai Shoko High School (March 31, 2025)
- Family/Marital Status: Single
- Personal SNS: Instagram (tomoka_0619)
- Agency: ACT SAIKYO
- Debut Year: 2022 (World Junior Championships title), 2025 (Professional debut)
