Rising Stars Shine in Tokyo: Japanese Juniors Steal the Spotlight at Historic APPT Debut
Kae Tokumoto Rules Tokyo: Two Titles Crown Her as the Queen of the APPT Japan
Tokyo, Japan – September 9, 2025 – The very first edition of the APPT Open Tokyo has come to
a close, marking a historic milestone for the Asia Pacific Padel Tour and the sport in Japan. Despite
heavy rain washing out the opening day, the skies cleared for a weekend of thrilling rallies, breakout
talent, and packed stands at Hare Nochi Hare.
The true storyline of Tokyo was the emergence of young Japanese talent. Across both amateur
and professional draws, teenagers and even pre-teens made their mark. Two 11-year-olds, Nazuna
Saito and Chikage Yasuda, battled their way into the Amateur Female semifinals, while several
13 and 14-year-olds impressed in the men’s draw. In the pros, 16-year-old Nagomi Utsumi showed
nerves of steel, reaching the semifinals in both Pro Female and Pro Mixed. For fans, it was proof
that the next generation of Asian padel stars is already here.
Tokyo Turns Red and White: Japanese Players Dominate the Draw at APPT Open Tokyo
The women’s side belonged to Kae Tokumoto. Teaming with Saki Tsukamoto, she came from
behind to topple APPT No.1 Kotomi Ozawa and Maiko Kutsuna in a dramatic Pro Female Final
— 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Tokumoto wasn’t done. In the Pro Mixed Final, she partnered with Atsushi
Maeda to defeat Yuki Iwamoto & Mizuki Takita 6-1, 6-4. With two titles in three days, Tokumoto
left Tokyo as the undisputed Queen of the APPT Open Tokyo.
Pro Male – Spanish Power in Tokyo
The men’s draw saw Japan’s best face off with Spain’s finest, but it was Eduard Altimires & Pol
Alsina who emerged as champions. In the final, they beat local pair Shinnosuke Nakamura &
Teruaki Ando 6-3, 6-2. The win also shook up the APPT rankings: Alsina (#3) is now just 350
points behind Marc Bernils (#2) and 500 off leader Sergi Nogueras, while Altimires consolidates his
4 spot with a healthy lead over Japan’s Shungo Kusakabe (#5).
The biggest surprise for home fans came in the quarterfinals. Favorites Kusakabe & Leon Aurelius
were knocked out by fellow Japanese duo Nakamura & Ando, who went on a fairytale run to the
final before falling to the Spaniards.
Amateur Divisions – A Festival of Future Stars
The amateur finals delivered drama and passion in equal measure. In the Amateur Female Final,
Miuna Yanagi & Mika Ogawa edged Emilia Milovanovic (FRA) & Natsumi Matsushima in a
rollercoaster clash 7-6, 3-6, 12-10. The Amateur Male Final saw Yuto Suzuki & Tatsuya Ohara
rise to the occasion, defeating Hayato Okubo & Riku Horigome 6-3, 6-4. In the Amateur Mixed
Final, Momoko Taniguchi & Hayato Okubo lifted the trophy.
Played in front of an enthusiastic Tokyo crowd, all three amateur finals showed that Japan’s
grassroots padel community is thriving and already producing players ready to step onto bigger
stages.
“The debut of the APPT in Tokyo is a landmark moment, not only for Japan but for the entire Asia
Pacific region,” said APPT CEO Carlos Carrillo. “Seeing such strong local participation — from
11-year-old kids to top national champions — shows that padel has found a real home here. Japan
has the sporting culture, the talent, and the passion to become one of the region’s driving forces.
This first event is just the beginning of what promises to be a long and exciting journey for padel in
Japan, and the performances we’ve seen this weekend prove that the next generation of stars is
already here.”
A Breakthrough Moment for Japan
More than a tournament, the Tokyo debut was a statement: Japan is ready to be a padel
powerhouse. With juniors shining, pros battling at the highest level, and a record local turnout, the
APPT Open Tokyo showed that the sport has found fertile ground in one of Asia’s great sporting
nations.
Winners – APPT Open Tokyo 2025
- Pro Male: Eduard Altimires & Pol Alsina (ESP)
- Pro Female: Kae Tokumoto & Saki Tsukamoto (JPN)
- Pro Mixed: Kae Tokumoto & Atsushi Maeda (JPN)
- Amateur Male: Yuto Suzuki & Tatsuya Ohara (JPN)
- Amateur Female: Miuna Yanagi & Mika Ogawa (JPN)
- Amateur Mixed: Momoko Taniguchi & Hayato Okubo (JPN)
APPT Rankings Update – September 2025
Female Rankings (Top 10)
- Kotomi Ozawa (JPN) – 13,170 pts
- Joanna Tao Yee Tan (PHI) – 9,100 pts
- Elisabeth Nogueras (ESP) – 7,670 pls
- Saki Tsukamoto (JPN) – 5,000 pts
- Marian Capadocia (PHI) – 4,500 pts
- Irina Chernaya (RUS) – 3,990 pts
- Beatrice Gumulya (INA) – 3,450 pts
- Sayaka Yoshimoto (JPN) – 3,190 pts
- Kae Tokumoto (JPN) – 3,000 pts
- Angela Caro (ESP) – 3,000 pts
- Sol Perez (ARG) – 3,000 pts
Male Rankings (Top 10)
- Sergi Nogueras Lorenz (ESP) – 14,750 pts
- Marc Bernils (ESP) – 14,600 pts
- Pol Alsina (ESP) – 14,250 pts
- Eduard Altimires Ros (ESP) – 11,500 pts
- Shungo Kusakabe (JPN) – 5,340 pts
- Tim Brown (AUS) – 5,300 pts
- Dani Bressel (ESP) – 4,220 pts
- Alejandro Domenech Menacho (ESP) – 3,700 pts
- Leon Aurelius Taira (JPN) – 3,420 pts
- Marc Monne (ESP) – 3,200 pts
What’s Next on the APPT Calendar
From Tokyo, the APPT now turns the page to a historic milestone: the first-ever Masters event in
Singapore (Sept 18–21), a debut that marks the beginning of a new chapter for the tour. Just days
later, the action moves to Indonesia for the Jakarta Grandslam (Oct 2–5), before the circuit
continues its journey to the Middle East for the much-anticipated second Masters in Dubai (Oct
9–12) — three consecutive events that promise to redefine the standard of professional padel in
Asia.
Singapore Masters | Sept 18 – 21 | $20,000 |
Jakarta Grandslam | Oct 2 – 5 | $13,000 |
Dubai Masters | Oct 9-12 | $20,000 |
Karachi Grandslam | Oct 30 – Nov 2 | $13,000 |
Mumbai Grandslam | Nov 6 – 9 | $13,000 |
APPT Bali Simply Padel Challenger | Oct 17 – 19 | $3,250
APPT Open – Ubud, Bali | Dec 5-7 | $6,500
Jakarta Master Final | Dec 18 – 21 | $40,000 |
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