Hiroki Midorikawa

is a Japanese badminton player who competes in doubles. He plays for the NTT East team and is a member of the Japanese national team. He primarily competes in mixed doubles with Natsu Saito, reaching a career-high world ranking of No. 7. The pair won two World Tour Super 500 titles – the 2023 Canada Open and the 2025 Indonesia Masters – and were silver medalists at the 2025 Asian Championships. During junior high, he won the team competition and was a runner-up in singles at the National Junior High School Tournament. In 2017, he won the doubles title at the All Japan Junior Championships. In his second year of high school, he formed a mixed doubles partnership with his classmate Natsu Saito. He later studied sports science at Waseda University from 2019 to 2023.

Midorikawa describes himself as "self-paced and positive." When a shoulder injury prevented him from smashing, instead of being discouraged, he proactively used the opportunity to improve the precision of his drop shots and clears, as well as his footwork. Midorikawa views his relatively short stature as an advantage, believing his high energy and mobility help overcome limitations sometimes associated with shorter players, contrasting the common view that taller players have a natural advantage. They also finished as runners-up at the Australian Open and reached the semifinals of the Hong Kong and the Arctic Opens.

In men's doubles, Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita won the Osaka International title. They qualified for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals but were eliminated in the group stage.

In men's doubles, Midorikawa and Yamashita returned to international competition in August, winning consecutive titles at the Sydney International and the North Harbour International. Domestically, the pair won all three of Japan's major national tournaments: the Japan Ranking Circuit, the All Japan Members Championships, and the All Japan Championships.

2025: Second Super 500 title, Asian Championships silver

Midorikawa was selected for the Japanese national team in both mixed and men's doubles. He contributed to the Japanese squads that earned bronze medals at the Asia Mixed Team Championships and at the Sudirman Cup.

In mixed doubles, Midorikawa and Saito won the Indonesia Masters in January and secured a silver medal at the Asian Championships. The pair reached the semi-finals of the Denmark Open and the quarter-finals of the World Championships. They achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 7 in October. In November, Midorikawa announced a new mixed doubles partnership with Nami Matsuyama. The pair later stated that they were aiming to compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Midorikawa and Saito completed the 2025 season together, reaching the semi-finals of the World Tour Finals in December, which marked their final tournament as a pair.

In men's doubles, Midorikawa and Yamashita reached the semifinals of the Swiss Open in March and the Taipei Open in May. They achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 25 in September. The pair concluded the season with a runner-up finish at the Super 500 Japan Masters in November, losing to Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae. With Matsuyama sidelined for surgery, Midorikawa formed a temporary mixed doubles partnership with Misaki Matsutomo in July. Competing at consecutive World Tour events in East Asia, the pair suffered opening-round exits at both the Japan Open and the China Open.

In men's doubles, Midorikawa and Yamashita began the year by reaching the final of the India Open in January, where they finished as runners-up to Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. Midorikawa then formed a new men's doubles partnership with Yuto Nakashizu for the Taipei Open and Korea Masters.

Personal life Midorikawa married on 2 February 2025.

Achievements Asian Championships Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner 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.

Men's doubles Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2025 Japan Masters Super 500 Kyohei Yamashita Kim Won-ho Seo Seung-jae 22–20, 11–21, 16–21 Runner-up 2026 India Open Super 750 Kyohei Yamashita Liang Weikeng Wang Chang 21–17, 23–25, 16–21 Runner-up

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2022 Canada Open Super 100 Natsu Saito Ye Hong-wei Lee Chia-hsin 21–12, 12–21, 15–21 Runner-up 2023 Canada Open Super 500 Natsu Saito Mathias Thyrri Amalie Magelund 21–17, 16–21, 21–13 Winner

BWF International Challenge/Series (9 titles, 1 runner-up) Men's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2019 Malaysia International Kyohei Yamashita Liang Weikeng Shang Yichen 18–21, 21–10, 21–16 Winner 2023 Osaka International Kyohei Yamashita Wei Chun-wei Wu Guan-xun 21–14, 21–14 Winner 2024 Sydney International Kyohei Yamashita Lai Po-yu Tsai Fu-cheng 21–14, 21–16 Winner 2019 Vietnam International Natsu Saito Vichayapong Kanjanakeereewong Ruethaichanok Laisuan 21–16, 21–8 Winner 2021 Belgian International Natsu Saito Jesper Toft Clara Graversen 21–18, 21–9 Winner 2022 Belgian International Natsu Saito Chiu Hsiang-chieh Lin Xiao-min 21–13, 21–17 Winner 2026 Polish Open Nami Matsuyama Jeppe Søby Sofie Røjkjær 21–11, 21–13 Winner 2026 Vietnam International Nami Matsuyama Chan Yin Chak Ng Tsz Yau 17–14 retired Runner-up 2018 German Junior Natsu Saito Wang Chan Jeong Na-eun 19–21, 21–18, 21–17 Winner 2018 Banthongyord Junior International Natsu Saito Kunlavut Vitidsarn Lalinrat Chaiwan 21–23, 18–21 Runner-up

BWF Junior International Grand Prix tournament BWF Junior International Challenge tournament

Record against selected opponents Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 24 December 2025.

Natsu Saito

Players Feng Yanzhe & Huang Dongping 11 1 10 –9 Guo Xinwa & Chen Fanghui 2 1 1 0 Jiang Zhenbang & Wei Yaxin 6 1 5 –4 Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong 6 1 5 –4 Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith 1 0 1 –1 Thom Gicquel & Delphine Delrue 4 2 2 0 Mark Lamsfuß & Isabel Lohau 2 1 1 0

Players Tang Chun Man & Tse Ying Suet 2 1 1 0 Praveen Jordan & Melati Daeva Oktavianti 1 1 0 +1 Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino 2 0 2 –2 Kyohei Yamashita & Naru Shinoya 4 3 1 +2 Chen Tang Jie & Toh Ee Wei 6 2 4 –2 Kim Won-ho & Jeong Na-eun 4 1 3 –2 Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree Taerattanachai 1 1 0 +1