Tokito Oda, City Hunter
The current World No. 1 has just been defeated in the Miami Open final against his long-time rival, Britain’s Alfie Hewett. Yet, he is already looking ahead to the rest of the season. He’s not even 20 years old (he’ll celebrate his birthday this May), but has already conquered every Grand Slam tournament at least once. He kicked off 2026 in style, claiming the Australian Open singles title after a hard-fought battle against Martin de la Puente, thus becoming the youngest man to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, across all categories of professional tennis.
A video, like many on a random social media: at an airport somewhere in the world, a young man resembling a K-pop star collects his luggage. Sitting in his wheelchair, his sweatshirt hood pulled over his head and sunglasses on, he’s moving with a fluid, effortless grace—his cool demeanor giving the impression that he’s about to fill a stadium with fans. But, this time, the beat will not be a concert; rather a pure, athletic performance.
The child dreamed of soccer; tennis came to find Tokito Oda instead
With his friendly face and rock-star charisma, the young Olympic gold medalist (Paris 2024) once dreamed of being a soccer player as a child. But a tumor in his left leg, detected at age nine, forced him onto a completely different path. Encouraged by his doctors to explore parasports, it was during a hospital stay that the young Tokito watched a video of one of the greatest wheelchair tennis players of all time: Shingo Kunieda. With 50 Grand Slam titles and six Olympic medals, Kunieda is a legend in Japan. For a child who had to give up his initial dream, discovering the sensations of this individual sport changed his life— not knowing that he would go on to leave his own mark on it in a not-so-distant future. As he often says, sport saved him, and so did gratitude.
He reflects beautifully on this period and his first steps in a documentary released by Nike, where photos and videos of the young native of Ichinomiya, in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, already showcase his precocious talent.
The young prodigy, already a master of the game, is a whirlwind of fresh air to the world of tennis
He turned pro at age 15 and began competing in tournaments, and things really took off in 2021, when he broke into the top 10. But 2022 was his breakout year: after a semi-final at Roland Garros against the legendary Kunieda, he won his first Masters title in the Netherlands, defeating one of his future great rivals, Alfie Hewett (6-4, 6-4). In 2023, his history with the clay courts truly began with his first Grand Slam victory, making him the youngest Grand Slam winner and the youngest World No. 1 in history at just 17. He confirmed this status at Wimbledon later that year, once again facing Hewett.
Following in Shingo Kunieda’s footsteps: the golden bridge of Tokito Oda
A fierce competitor, Tokito Oda believes above all in hard work and perseverance. You only need to watch him play once to be convinced: a knack for lightning-fast returns taken early on his opponent’s serve, a chair control so precise that it seems almost weightless—making him exceptionally agile during net charges—and a supple touch combined with a powerful backhand that comes through naturally in his aggressive, expressive style of play.
The three-time Roland Garros champion will be ready for this new clay season. Beyond the sporting achievement of adding a fourth title to his record, he will surely be eager to pursue another objective he has set for himself: winning over an ever-growing audience of tennis fans.
It’s a challenge he is already winning, wherever he goes.
Relive the Paris 2024 Olympic Final
