Akane Yamaguchi

Career 2012: International debut Yamaguchi began her junior international career in 2012. At the Asian Junior Championships, she won a bronze medal in girls' singles and was part of the Japanese team that won the nation's first mixed team title. Later that year, she claimed a silver medal in girls' singles and the mixed team event at the World Junior Championships. She also made her senior international debut that year at the Osaka International, where she upset the first seed Bellaetrix Manuputty in the first round, before losing to Ayumi Mine in the next round.

2013: First Super Series title and World Junior champion In 2013, Yamaguchi won her first Super Series title at the Japan Open. Advancing from the qualifying round, her victory at the age of 16 years, 3 months, and 16 days made her the youngest player ever to win a Super Series event. This win also marked Japan's first title at the Japan Open in any discipline in 32 years and only the second-ever Super Series women's singles title won by a Japanese player. Her other results that year included a gold medal in mixed doubles at the Asian Youth Games, a bronze medal in women's singles at the East Asian Games, and runner-up finishes at both the New Zealand Open and the Osaka International. For her performance throughout the season, Yamaguchi was named the BWF Most Promising Player of the Year.

2014: Junior titles and senior breakthrough In 2014, Yamaguchi successfully defended her World Junior Championships title, becoming the first Japanese player in the tournament's history to win consecutive titles across all disciplines. That same year, she won the Asian Junior Championships. She also contributed to Japan's mixed team bronze medals at both the World and Asian Junior Championships. At the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, she served as the flag-bearer for the Japanese team and earned a silver medal in girls' singles. On the senior circuit, she reached her first Super Series Premier final at the China Open, finishing as runner-up after victories over Wang Shixian and Sun Yu. Her performance qualified her for the season-ending BWF Super Series Finals, where she reached the semifinals. She was also a member of the Japanese team that won the silver medal at the Uber Cup. For the second consecutive year, she was named the BWF Most Promising Player of the Year. She also finished as the runner-up at the Japan Open Super Series, losing the final to her compatriot Nozomi Okuhara. During the Indonesian Open, she defeated the reigning Olympic champion, Li Xuerui, in the second round. In team competition, she helped Japan win the silver medal at the Sudirman Cup, which marked the country's first-ever silver medal at the event.

2016: Olympic debut and two Super Series titles Yamaguchi attending a prime ministerial reception for the Japanese Olympic delegation following the 2016 Summer Olympics, August 2016. Yamaguchi made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinals by her compatriot Nozomi Okuhara. Following the Olympics, Yamaguchi won consecutive titles on the Super Series circuit. In September, she captured her second career Super Series title at the Korea Open, defeating Sung Ji-hyun in the final. The following month, she won the Denmark Open by defeating Tai Tzu-ying to claim her first Super Series Premier title. She concluded her season by qualifying for the year-end Dubai Super Series Finals, where she was eliminated in the round-robin stage. In team competition, she represented Japan at the Uber Cup in Kunshan, where the team finished with a bronze medal.

2017: Season-ending title and Asian team gold Yamaguchi won three titles in 2017: the German Open, the China Open, and the season-ending Dubai World Superseries Finals. She also finished as the runner-up at the Asian Championships, the Australian Open, the Denmark Open, and the French Open. At the World Championships, she entered as the top seed but was eliminated in the third round. In team competition, she was part of the squad that won Japan's first Asia Mixed Team Championships title. She concluded the season as the year's highest-earning player, collecting US$261,363 from 15 tournaments.

2018: World No. 1 and Uber Cup champion On 19 April 2018, at the age of , Yamaguchi became the first Japanese singles player to reach the world No. 1 ranking. At major individual championships, she secured bronze medals at both the World Championships in Nanjing and the Asian Games in Jakarta, losing both semifinals to P. V. Sindhu. On the BWF World Tour, Yamaguchi won two titles and finished as a runner-up once. In March, she won the German Open by defeating Chen Yufei in the final. She followed this by reaching her first All England Open final, finishing as the runner-up to Tai Tzu-ying. In October, she captured the French Open title, defeating Tai. She concluded her season with a semifinal finish at the year-end BWF World Tour Finals.

In team competition, Yamaguchi won three gold medals with the Japanese national team. She was part of the squads that won the Asia Team Championships in Alor Setar and the Asian Games women's team event in Jakarta. She also contributed to Japan's gold medal at the Uber Cup in Bangkok, which marked the country's first title at the tournament in 37 years.

2019: Asian Champion and return to World No. 1 In 2019, Yamaguchi became the first Japanese player to win the women's singles title at the Asian Championships. On the World Tour, she secured three titles: the German Open, her first Super 1000 title at the Indonesia Open, and the Japan Open. Her consecutive victories in Indonesia and Japan propelled her back to the World No. 1 ranking on 30 July. She also finished as the runner-up at the Malaysia Open and earned a silver medal with the Japanese team at the Sudirman Cup. The latter half of the season was disrupted by injuries; a lower back injury sustained after the Japan Open limited her preparation for the World Championships, resulting in a second-round exit. She later suffered a right calf injury, forcing her withdrawal from the Korea Open, before ending the season with a semifinal finish at the BWF World Tour Finals.

2020–2021: Olympic campaign and first World Championship title In a 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Yamaguchi's primary achievement was winning the Thailand Masters. In team competition, she was a member of the Japanese team that won the Asian Women's team championship.

The following year, in 2021, Yamaguchi competed as the fourth seed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she lost in the quarterfinals to P. V. Sindhu. On the BWF World Tour, she won two consecutive titles at the Denmark Open and the French Open, and finished as the runner-up at the Indonesia Masters. In team competitions, she was a member of the Japanese squad that earned silver medals at both the Sudirman Cup and the Uber Cup. Yamaguchi ended the year by capturing her first world title at the 2021 World Championships in Huelva, after defeating Tai Tzu-ying in the final. With this victory, she became the second Japanese women's singles player to win the World Championships after Nozomi Okuhara.

2022: Second World Championship title and All England champion Yamaguchi's 2022 season was highlighted by defending her world title and winning her first All England Open title. At major individual championships, she successfully defended her crown at the World Championships in Tokyo, defeating Chen Yufei. Her victory at the World Championships made her the first Japanese women's singles player to win consecutive world titles. Earlier in the season, she won a silver medal at the Asian Championships in Manila after losing to China's Wang Zhiyi. On the World Tour Yamaguchi won three titles. In March, she captured her maiden All England Open title by defeating An Se-young. In September, she won the Japan Open, once again defeating An in the final. She concluded the season by winning the year-end World Tour Finals in Bangkok, defeating Tai Tzu-ying. In team competition, she represented Japan at the Uber Cup in Bangkok, contributing to the squad's bronze medal finish. In recognition of her achievements, Yamaguchi was named the BWF Female Player of the Year.

2023: Five World Tour titles and season-ending injury In 2023, Yamaguchi won five World Tour titles: the Malaysia Open, German Open, Malaysia Masters, Canada Open, and Hong Kong Open. She also finished as runner-up at the China Open, Singapore Open, and India Open. Notably, five of her eight World Tour finals that season were played against An Se-young; Yamaguchi defeated An to win the Malaysia and German Opens, but lost to her in the finals of the India, Singapore, and China Opens. At major individual championships, Yamaguchi secured bronze medals at both the World Championships in Copenhagen and the Asian Championships in Dubai. This injury subsequently led to her withdrawal from the rest of her scheduled tournaments, including the season-ending World Tour Finals in Hangzhou.

2024: Olympic run and two home titles After a three-and-a-half-month recovery from a right foot injury sustained in late 2023, Yamaguchi began her 2024 season in January. She finished as the runner-up at consecutive tournaments, losing to An Se-young at the French Open and retiring against Carolina Marín in the All England Open final due to a right hip injury. This hip injury recurred at the Uber Cup in May, where she contributed to Japan's bronze medal. The injury continued to disrupt her Olympic preparations, leading to a withdrawal from the Indonesia Open in June and delaying her return to full-scale training until July, mere weeks before the Olympics.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she reached the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual gold medalist, An Se-young. Following the Olympics, Yamaguchi secured two titles on home soil, defeating Busanan Ongbamrungphan to win the Japan Open and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung to claim the Japan Masters. Her season concluded with another injury-forced retirement, this time due to a right calf injury, at the All Japan Championships in December.

2025: Third World Championship title Yamaguchi on the podium after winning her third women's singles title at the 2025 World Championships. Returning from a calf injury that concluded her 2024 season, Yamaguchi's 2025 campaign was highlighted by a historic victory at the World Championships in Paris. She secured her third women's singles world title by defeating Chen Yufei in the final (21–9, 21–13).

On the World Tour Yamaguchi captured two Super 500 titles. She won her first tour title of the year at the Korea Open by defeating An Se-young. She followed this by winning the Arctic Open with a straight-games victory over Busanan Ongbamrungphan. She displayed consistent form throughout the season, reaching the semifinals of six tournaments she entered. This run included the season-ending World Tour Finals, as well as three Super 1000 events: the All England Open, the Indonesia Open, and the China Open. In team events, she represented Japan at the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, contributing to the squad's bronze medal finish. In March, despite limited practice time and the lingering effects of her knee injury, she advanced to the semifinals of the All England Open, losing to the eventual champion, Wang Zhiyi. The following month, Yamaguchi won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Ningbo after losing the semifinal to Wang. Later that month, she represented Japan at the Uber Cup in Horsens, contributing to the team's bronze medal finish.

Between May and July, Yamaguchi reached six consecutive tournament finals. She won her first title of the year at the Super 500 Thailand Open by defeating Chen Yufei. This victory was followed by consecutive runner-up finishes at the Singapore Open and the Indonesia Open, where she lost both finals to An Se-young. She then secured her second title of the season at the Super 500 Australian Open, defeating Pornpawee Chochuwong. After finishing as the runner-up to Sindhu at the Japan Open, Yamaguchi won the Super 1000 title at the China Open with another victory over Chen. At the 2026 BWF World Championships, Yamaguchi defeated Michelle Li in the quarters before eliminated Pornpawee Chochuwong in the semis, who got the berth after a knee injury for Nozomi Okuhara. In the final, she was outwitted by An Se-young in two games with a score of 17–21, 14–21.

Rivalries An Se-young Yamaguchi maintains a prominent rivalry with South Korea's An Se-young, with An leading their head-to-head record 19–15 across 34 encounters. Yamaguchi's victories over An in tournament finals include the 2020 Thailand Masters , and 2023 China Open. They have also frequently represented Japan and China as top singles players in major team events; notably, Chen defeated Yamaguchi in the final of the 2019 Sudirman Cup to help China claim the title.

Nozomi Okuhara Yamaguchi shares a domestic rivalry with compatriot Nozomi Okuhara, with Okuhara leading their head-to-head record 12–9 across 21 encounters. Their rivalry began in their junior careers, with Okuhara defeating Yamaguchi in the final of the 2012 World Junior Championships

In 2014, Chinese team head coach Li Yongbo commented that Yamaguchi plays with patience and quality. Regarding her short stature and potential for further development, he stated that badminton talent is not limited by height restrictions, and her skill is sufficient to compensate for her height. He added that her future would depend on her performance in the coming year.

Honours and awards BWF Awards: Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year (2013). Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) Sports Award: Newcomer Award (2014). Yonex: Minoru Yoneyama Award (2014). Katsuyama City: Citizen's Honor Award (2018). Kumamoto Prefecture: Sports Special Achievement Award (2022). BWF Awards: Player of the Year (2022). Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) Sports Award: Outstanding Award (2022). Fukui Prefecture: Prefectural Honor Award (2025).

Achievements World Championships Women's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result Ref 2018 Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, Nanjing, China P. V. Sindhu 16–21, 22–24 Bronze Bronze 2025 Adidas Arena, Paris, France Chen Yufei 21–9, 21–13 Gold Gold 2026 Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India An Se-young 17–21, 14–21 Silver Silver 2026 Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, Ningbo, China Wang Zhiyi 21–14, 9–21, 13–21Bronze Bronze

Youth Olympic Games Girls' singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result Ref

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.

Women's singles Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result Ref

algin="left" | 21–19, 6–21, 21–12

was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the BWF. BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.

Women's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref 2013 Japan Open Shizuka Uchida 21–15, 21–19 Winner

Individual competitions

Junior level Girls' singles Events !! 2012 !! 2013 !! 2014 !! Ref

A

Player Matches Win Lost Chen Yufei 38 24 14 +10 Han Yue 11 8 3 +5 He Bingjiao 17 13 4 +9 Li Xuerui 11 4 7 –3 Wang Shixian 4 2 2 0 Wang Yihan 3 1 2 –1 Wang Zhiyi 17 8 9 –1 Zhang Yiman 7 6 1 +5 Tai Tzu-ying 24 11 13 –2 Saina Nehwal 13 11 2 +9 P. V. Sindhu 30 14 16 –2

Player Matches Win Lost Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 20 15 5 +10 Putri Kusuma Wardani 8 8 0 +8 Minatsu Mitani 2 2 0 +2 Aya Ohori 7 7 0 +7 Nozomi Okuhara 21 9 12 –3 An Se-young 34 15 19 –4 Bae Yeon-ju 6 4 2 +2 Sung Ji-hyun 10 5 5 0 Carolina Marín 17 7 10 –3 Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 2 2 0 +2 Ratchanok Intanon 27 16 11 +5