Yudai Okimoto

Yudai Okimoto
Okimoto in 2025
Personal information
Native name
沖本 優大
Born (2005-05-28) 28 May 2005
Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
CountryJapan
SportBadminton
HandednessRight
Coached byKazumasa Sakai
Men's singles
Career record116 wins, 32 losses (78.38%)
Highest ranking21 (4 August 2026)
Current ranking23 (11 August 2026)
BWF profile
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Japan
Asia Team Championships
Gold medal – first place2026 QingdaoMen's team
Asian Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 YogyakartaMixed team
Silver medal – second place2023 YogyakartaBoys' singles

Yudai Okimoto (沖本 優大, Okimoto Yūdai; born 28 May 2005) is a Japanese badminton player who competes in men's singles.[1][2] A member of the Japanese national team, he plays for the BIPROGY team and has reached a career-high world ranking of No. 21.[3]

Okimoto won a silver medal in boys' singles at the 2023 Asian Junior Championships and captured his first senior international title at the 2024 Finnish International. He has since won two Super 300 titles on the World Tour: the 2026 Canada Open, his maiden World Tour title, and the 2026 Taipei Open, where he became the first Japanese player to win the men's singles event in the tournament's history.

Okimoto has also contributed to several milestones for the Japanese team. He was part of the squad that won the mixed team gold medal at the 2023 Asian Junior Championships, Japan's first in 11 years, and helped the team capture its first-ever men's title at the 2026 Asia Team Championships.

Early life and career

Okimoto was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, and began playing badminton at age six under the influence of his older brother.[4] During his youth he divided his time between two sports, practicing badminton at the Hara Junior Club on Saturday mornings and playing third base in a youth baseball league in the afternoons.[5][6] His involvement in baseball stemmed from a "reward promise" made by his parents, who allowed him to join the baseball club only after he won a national badminton tournament in the second grade.[4] After winning the All-Japan Elementary School Championships in three consecutive years from 2015, he chose to focus exclusively on badminton.[7]

He later attended Saitama Sakae Junior and Senior High School in Saitama Prefecture.[6] In his final year, Okimoto won the team, boys' singles, and boys' doubles titles at the National High School Invitational Tournament, followed by the boys' singles and doubles titles at the National High School Championships (Inter-High).[8][9] Following the achievement, he appeared on the cover of the May 2023 issue of Badminton Magazine, which also featured a special interview with him.[10]

Career

2023: Junior career and World Tour debut

In 2023, Okimoto was selected for the Japanese national B team, competing in men's doubles alongside Daigo Tanioka on the senior circuit.[5] He continued to compete in boys' singles at the junior level, winning consecutive titles on the European junior circuit at the Dutch Junior International and the German Junior.[11][12] At the Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, he helped Japan win its first mixed team gold medal in 11 years and reached the boys' singles final, finishing runner-up to Hu Zhe'an.[13][14] He concluded his junior international career as a quarterfinalist at the World Junior Championships.[15] Okimoto and Tanioka made their World Tour debut at the Indonesia Masters Super 100 I, upsetting former world number one Tan Wee Kiong and his partner Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub in qualifying before losing in the first round of the main draw.[16]

2024–2025: First senior titles, Super 300 final, and World Top 50

In April 2024, Okimoto joined the BIPROGY Badminton Team and shifted his focus to men's singles.[3] He captured his first senior title at the Finnish International that April,[17] won the Mauritius International in July,[18] and finished runner-up at the Réunion Open.[19] In 2025 he reached consecutive finals in the Northern Mariana Islands, winning the Northern Marianas Open[20][21] before finishing runner-up at the Saipan International.[22][23] He went on to reach his first World Tour final at the Malaysia Super 100[24] and his first Super 300 final at the Korea Masters,[25] finishing runner-up on both occasions. He entered the world top 50 for the first time that year, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 42 on 16 December 2025.

2026: Maiden World Tour title

In February, Okimoto was a member of the Japanese squad that secured the nation's first men's team title at the Asia Team Championships.[26] On the World Tour, he advanced to the semifinals of the Orléans Masters, defeating eighth seed Ayush Shetty before losing to eventual champion Alex Lanier.[27] In April, he made his Asian Championships debut in Ningbo, China, advancing to the second round with a win over Jason Teh.[28][29] He subsequently competed in his first Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, where Japan placed fifth.[30] In June, Okimoto reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open, losing to former world No. 1 Srikanth Kidambi.[31]

Okimoto captured his maiden World Tour title in July at the Canada Open, defeating local player Victor Lai in the semifinals and compatriot Riki Takei in the final.[32][33] The following month he claimed his second Super 300 title at the Taipei Open, beating top seed Chou Tien-chen in the semifinals and South Korea's Yoo Tae-bin in the final to become the first Japanese player to win the tournament's men's singles title. Okimoto credited his recent matches against top-ranked players such as Jonatan Christie and Shi Yuqi for helping him adapt to the pace of elite opponents and withstand high-pressure situations.[34][35] Following this victory, he reached a career-high world ranking of No. 21.

Playing style

Standing at 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in), Okimoto developed a defensive, highly tenacious playing style in high school to compensate for his smaller stature against taller international opponents. He describes his approach as dorokusasa (泥臭さ, 'grittiness'). His gameplay relies on physical endurance, consistent court coverage, and shot anticipation, using precise placement to patiently build extended rallies.[4][7] Okimoto attributes his defensive positioning and shoulder strength to his baseball background, noting that his badminton court movement resembles that of a baseball infielder.[36]

Elite opponents have praised his tactical approach and resilience. Asian Games gold medalist Jonatan Christie described Okimoto as a tenacious, persistent player who is difficult to put away, noting that his rallying endurance reflects a traditional Japanese playing style.[37] Former world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen has similarly praised Okimoto's stamina, solid defense, and low error rate, noting that his deceptive shot placement and ability to push the pace in the front court limit his opponents' attacking opportunities.[38]

Personal life

Okimoto is a fan of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team. As a child, he played third base in a youth baseball league and aspired to become a professional baseball player. He idolized Carp infielder Tetsuya Kokubo as a child, and currently cites Shohei Ohtani as the athlete he admires most.[5][6] Within the BIPROGY team, Okimoto is mentored by senior teammate Koki Watanabe, whom he considers his technical role model for net-play and lobbing. Outside of competition, he enjoys sea fishing with his teammates.[4]

Achievements

Asian Junior Championships

Boys' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result Ref
2023 Among Rogo Sports Hall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia China Hu Zhe'an 21–13, 14–21, 14–21 Silver Silver [14]

BWF World Tour (2 titles, 2 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[39] 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.[40]

Men's singles

Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result Ref
2025 Malaysia Super 100 Super 100 China Dong Tianyao 14–21, 17–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up [24][41]
2025 Korea Masters Super 300 Singapore Jason Teh 14–21, 15–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up [25]
2026 Canada Open Super 300 Japan Riki Takei 21–13, 21–3 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [33][42]
2026 Taipei Open Super 300 South Korea Yoo Tae-bin 21–19, 21–12 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [35]

BWF International Challenge/Series (3 titles, 2 runners-up)

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref
2024 Finnish International France Grégoire Deschamp 17–21, 21–9, 21–17 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [17]
2024 Réunion Open India Tharun Mannepalli 15–21, 15–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up [19]
2024 Mauritius International Indonesia Rizki Ansyahri 16–21, 21–7, 21–14 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [18]
2025 Northern Marianas Open South Korea Kim Hae-deun 13–21, 21–15, 21–18 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [20][21]
2025 Saipan International Japan Riki Takei 14–16, 4–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up [22][23]
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

BWF Junior International (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Boys' singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref
2023 German Junior Malaysia Eogene Ewe 21–16, 14–21, 21–18 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [11]
2023 Dutch Junior International China Hu Zhe'an 21–7, 11–21, 14–3 retired 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner [12][43]
2022 Malaysia Junior International Japan Sora Ogaki 17–21, 12–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up [44]
  BWF Junior International Grand Prix tournament
  BWF Junior 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 events2023Ref
Asian Junior Championships G [13][45]
World Junior Championships 5th
  • Senior level
Team events2026Ref
Asia Team Championships G [26]
Thomas Cup 5th [30]

Individual competitions

  • Junior level
Events2023Ref
Asian Junior Championships S [14]
World Junior Championships QF [15]
  • Senior level
Event2026Ref
Asian Championships 2R [29]
TournamentBWF World TourBest Ref
2024 2025 2026
Swiss Open A 2R 2R ('26) [46]
Ruichang China Masters A 3R A 3R ('25) [47]
Orléans Masters A SF SF ('26) [27]
Thailand Open A 1R 1R ('26) [48]
Baoji China Masters A QF A QF ('25) [49]
Malaysia Masters A 2R 2R ('26) [50]
U.S. Open A SF SF ('26) [31]
Canada Open A W W ('26) [33]
Japan Open A 1R 1R ('26)
China Open A 1R 1R ('26)
Taipei Open A W W ('26) [35]
Korea Masters A F SF F ('25) [51][25]
China Masters A Q ('26)
Indonesia Masters Super 100 A 2R A QF ('25)
QF
Arctic Open A Q ('26)
Malaysia Super 100 2R F F ('25) [24][41]
Kaohsiung Masters A QF QF ('25)
Syed Modi International A 1R 1R ('25) [52]
Guwahati Masters A QF QF ('25)
Year-end ranking 195 42 42
Tournament202420252026BestRef

Wins over top-10 ranked players

Wins over players who were ranked in the world's top 10 at the time the match was played.

# Opponent Rk Tournament Rd Score Rk Ref.
1 Canada Victor Lai 9 2026 Canada Open SF 15–21, 21–16, 21–11 29 [32]
2 Chinese Taipei Chou Tien-chen 6 2026 Taipei Open SF 15–21, 21–15, 22–20 26 [34]

Record against selected opponents

Record against Year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 2 August 2026.[53]

References

  1. ↑ "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Kakeru Kumagai, Yudai Okimoto, Daigo Tanioka, and Kanae Sakai joined the team on Monday, April 1st". BIPROGY (in Japanese). 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Break Through! Chapter 2: The spirit of continuing to challenge opens up the future: BIPROGY Badminton Team / Vol. 4 Yudai Okimoto". BIPROGY (in Japanese). 27 February 2026. Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Hirano, Takaya (30 March 2023). "Former baseball player and Hiroshima fan, Yudai Okimoto, who stands at just 164cm tall, wins three titles at the high school badminton tournament". The Answer (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". Badminton S/J League (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". J Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "[2023 National High School Selection] Yudai Okimoto wins both singles and doubles! A magnificent triple crown!! (Men's Individual Competition)". Badminton Spirit (in Japanese). 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "Inter-High Badminton: Saitama Sakae's Yudai Okimoto wins a double crown in singles and doubles... 'I wanted to make everyone on the team happy". Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 21 August 2023. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "[Badminton Magazine News] National High School Invitational Triple Crown!! Yudai Okimoto Special Interview — Highlights of the May Issue! <4>". Badminton Spirit (in Japanese). 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 11 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 "YONEX German Junior: Japan, China and Korea win" (in German). 14 March 2023. Archived from the original on 12 March 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  12. 1 2 "Past winners: Men's Singles". Dutch Junior International. Archived from the original on 29 April 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  13. 1 2 "A Sweet Ending to an 11-Year Wait". Badminton Asia. 11 July 2023. Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "A Special Day for Indonesia in Yogyakarta". Badminton Asia. 16 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 April 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Ayush Shetty wins bronze in BWF World Junior Championships". Sportstar. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  16. ↑ Masuda, Keita (11 September 2023). "Indonesia Masters I 2023 | Reports". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Here Are The Winners Of The Yonex Finnish International Badminton". Finnish Badminton Association (in Finnish). 28 April 2024. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  18. 1 2 Igarashi, Yu (15 July 2024). "Mauritius International 2024 | Reports". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  19. 1 2 Marchal, Pierre (8 July 2024). "Saint-Denis Réunion Badminton Open: An International Level". Zinfos974 (in French). Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  20. 1 2 "Japan Dominates Finals at CROWNE PLAZA Northern Marianas Open". Badminton Oceania. 11 August 2025. Archived from the original on 20 January 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  21. 1 2 Sablan Jr., James (12 August 2025). "Japan sweeps Crowne Plaza badminton titles". Marianas Variety. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Champions Crowned at CENTURY INSURANCE Saipan International 2025 – Finals Recap". Badminton Oceania. 16 August 2025. Archived from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  23. 1 2 Sablan Jr., James (18 August 2025). "Japan, Korea, and India claim badminton titles in Century Insurance tourney". Marianas Variety. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  24. 1 2 3 "Yudai Okimoto takes second place in the men's singles at the Malaysian Super 100 2025!". BIPROGY (in Japanese). 20 October 2025. Archived from the original on 26 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  25. 1 2 3 "Korea Masters: Jason Teh Breaks Lean Spell". Badminton World Federation. 9 November 2025. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  26. 1 2 "Badminton Asia Team: Maiden Title for Korea, Japan". Badminton World Federation. 8 February 2026. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Orleans Masters: Clash of Generations". Badminton World Federation. 22 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  28. ↑ "Asian Badminton Championships 2026: Updates, Japanese Team Results, and Summary". International Olympic Committee (in Japanese). 11 April 2026. Archived from the original on 15 April 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  29. 1 2 Kano, Shintaro (9 April 2026). "Badminton Asia Championships 2026: Loh Kean Yew survives Watanabe Koki challenge, moves into last eight". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 April 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  30. 1 2 "Bleu Brilliance: France Make History". Badminton World Federation. 2 May 2026. Archived from the original on 3 May 2026. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  31. 1 2 "US Open Badminton: Kidambi Srikanth enters final after win over Japan's Yudai Okimoto". Sportstar. 28 June 2026. Archived from the original on 28 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Canada Open: Okimoto Halts Lai's Home Title Bid". Badminton World Federation. 5 July 2026. Archived from the original on 5 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  33. 1 2 3 "Canada Open: Clean Sweep by Japan". Badminton World Federation. 6 July 2026. Archived from the original on 6 July 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  34. 1 2 Sukumar, Prem (1 August 2026). "Taipei Open: Yoo, Okimoto Spoil Party". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  35. 1 2 3 Chiu, Tzu-heng (2 August 2026). "Taipei Open: Yudai Okimoto Defeats Yoo Tae-bin in Straight Games, Becomes the First Japanese Men's Singles Champion in Tournament History". TSNA (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  36. ↑ Yamanobe, Kaho (10 September 2024). "The 19-Year-Old Badminton Prodigy Who Admires Shohei Ohtani: From "No. 3 Batter, Third Base" in Elementary School → To Becoming High School Badminton Champion, Yudai Okimoto's Dream". The Answer (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  37. ↑ "China Open 2026: Jonathan is forced to work hard, Alwi trips over Ayush". Badminton Association of Indonesia (in Indonesian). 22 July 2026. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Taipei Open: Chou Tien-chen falls to Yudai Okimoto! Suffers narrow defeat in a fierce three-game battle, misses out on home title". TSNA (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 1 August 2026. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  39. ↑ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  40. ↑ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  41. 1 2 Zamri, Adam (19 October 2025). "Aaron-Khai Xing soar to maiden senior crown but wait continues for Ling Ching". The Star. Archived from the original on 22 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  42. ↑ Liew, Vincent (6 July 2026). "Yudai Okimoto Beats Riki Takei as Japan Sweeps All Canada Open Titles". BadmintonPlanet.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  43. ↑ "U19 Japanese shuttlers win two titles at Dutch Junior" (in Japanese). BadPal. 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  44. ↑ Peter, Fabian (10 September 2022). "Juniors need a booster shot". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  45. ↑ "[Asian Junior Championships 2023] Japan defeats host Indonesia 3-2! Becomes the Asian champion for the first time in 11 years! <Team Competition/Final>" (in Japanese). Badminton Spirit. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  46. ↑ Liew, Vincent (12 March 2026). "Kang Khai Xing/Aaron Tai Reach 2026 Swiss Open Quarter-Finals". BadmintonPlanet.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  47. ↑ Komiyama, Hajime (17 March 2025). "Ruichang China Masters 2025 | Results". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 September 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  48. ↑ "Kunlavut breezes past first hurdle". Bangkok Post. 14 May 2026. Archived from the original on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  49. ↑ Takajoh, Rinryu (8 September 2025). "Baoji China Masters 2025 | Results". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  50. ↑ "[Malaysia Masters 2026] In the men's doubles, two pairs, Hoki & Kobayashi and Kumagai & Nishi, advance to the quarterfinals! <Day 3 Results>". Badminton Spirit (in Japanese). 22 May 2026. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  51. ↑ "Korea Masters: Okimoto Surges into Final". Badminton World Federation. 9 November 2025. Archived from the original on 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  52. ↑ Igarashi, Yu (1 December 2025). "Syed Modi India International 2025 | Results". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  53. ↑ "Yudai Okimoto head to head". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
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