Meet Rei Sakamoto: Inside the rise of the #NextGenATP samurai

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Meet Rei Sakamoto: Inside the rise of the #NextGenATP samurai

Exclusive insight from Sakamoto and coach Federico Ricci

Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour Rei Sakamoto has climbed more than 600 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings in the past 12 months. By Andrew Eichenholz

There is a samurai rising on the ATP Tour.

Keen followers of the ATP Challenger Tour will know one player not only by his game, but by his celebration. Nineteen-year-old Rei Sakamoto’s trademark is not a fist pump, a wave, or even a roar, but unsheathing a samurai’s sword.

The teen, who is 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, does not pull out an actual sword, of course. Instead, he uses the one that is his weapon on the court: his racquet. The #NextGenATP standout gets on one knee and pretends he is a warrior, completing battle with his sword before putting it back in its holder (view a recent example in the Instagram post below).

It is no coincidence Sakamoto defines his on-court game by three things: A big serve, a big forehand and samurai spirit.

“Samurais, they have to go to battle and then they have to kill people to be alive. So that’s the main thing,” Sakamoto, a Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF hopeful, told ATPTour.com. “When I’m going on the court, I’m ready to win the battle and always staying in the moment, fighting until the end. That’s the samurai.”

The mindset has helped the former junior World No. 1 quickly climb the PIF ATP Rankings. One year ago, the Japanese player was outside the Top 800, and he is already on the verge of cracking the Top 200 thanks to two Challenger titles, including one earlier this month in Cary, North Carolina.

But tennis was not necessarily a natural path for Sakamoto. The 19-year-old played several sports when he was young and his parents both played volleyball (including his father in college), so naturally Rei played the sport, too.

“I also wanted to be a baseball player, since baseball is so big in Japan,” Sakamoto said, noting the popularity of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. “Then I went for swimming and tennis was one of [the sports]. I felt like I was so talented in tennis. That first time I gripped my racquet, I knew I was going to be a good player.”

At age 15, Sakamoto moved to Florida to train at the IMG Academy and began playing ITF junior tournaments. It did not take long to find success.

“I started winning some tournaments and playing some Grand Slam juniors,” Sakamoto, who is now based in Florida, recalled. “I was thinking maybe there’s a big chance to be successful in the pros as well.”

Maxim Mrva and Rei Sakamoto celebrate their triumph at the 2024 US Open boys' doubles event. Photo: Getty Images.

Last year the Japanese star won the Australian Open boys’ singles title and became the No. 1 junior in the world. His current coach, Federico Ricci, explained that Sakamoto’s ball speed sticks out, even compared to Top 100 players. Other aspects of his game are still developing, but the speed of his serve and forehand in particular allow him to compete at a high level.

“Especially if it’s in combination perhaps with his other skillset, which is his touch or the ability of mixing such a high ball speed with more creative shots such as slices, drop shots [and] by surprise coming into the net,” Ricci said. He later added: “His average ball speed is quite high and [he has] the ability of mixing that up with more variety and creative shots. [That] is a good combination to take him to very high standards of tennis.”

There is also the competitive spirit that Sakamoto brings to the court. More than two years ago, he was speaking with his coach at the time, Natsuo Yamanaka, about celebrating victories. The discussion turned into his samurai sword unsheathing, which will become a popular sight for years to come.

“Ah, maybe you can have your own celebration or something to do after the match,” Yamanaka told Sakamoto. “And then I said, ‘Hey, what if I do this?’ At that time I had long hair and my hair looked more like a samurai. That is where it started.”

The 19-year-old has a lighter side, too. Sakamoto thinks quickly on his feet, but not just from a tactical point of view. The #NextGenATP player is witty and enjoys a good joke.

“Absolutely there is no dull moment with Rei Sakamoto,” Ricci said. “He is a fun guy to be around, he’s got a good personality. Of course he’s a teenager and sometimes the things he comes up with are absolutely absurd, so it’s refreshing for me because he’s a cool kid and he’s actually also interested in learning new things and there is a lot that he needs to learn.”

Sakamoto is next scheduled to compete in ATP Challenger Tour events in Bloomfield Hills and Lexington, with Bloomfield Hills taking place next week and Lexington the following week.

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