Shintaro Mochizuki was on a run of his lifetime at the recently concluded Tokyo Open, where he toppled top stars from the tennis world, including the No. 1 seed. The Japanese only recently became professional tennis player and has played only one grand slam to date. Giant-killers are ubiquitous in tennis, but what stands out in Shintaro’s case is his relatively nascent career at the top.
At the Tokyo Open, Mochizuki’s awe-inspiring journey reached its conclusion as he encountered none other than the mighty giant-slayer, Aslan Karatsev. However, his remarkable journey thus far has been nothing less than stellar, capturing the attention of the entire tennis community.
Who is Shintaro Mochizuki?
Shintaro Mochizuki entered the Japan Open as a wildcard, lacking any prior ATP event wins. What’s even more intriguing is that just four years ago in 2019, the Japanese 16-year-old stepped into the junior level. While not exceptionally late, notable players like Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff, Serena Williams, and Mirra Andreeva had already made their mark in the Grand Slam scene during their late teenage years.
The Japanese prodigy, born on June 2, 2003, in Kawasaki, Japan, bears the namesake of politician and novelist Shintaro Ishihara. His tennis journey commenced in 2006 at the tender age of 3, and at 12, he relocated to Florida, United States, to train at the IMG Academy.
In 2019, Shintaro clinched the Wimbledon boy’s singles championship, making history as the first Japanese player to achieve this feat. The same year, he steered his national team to victory in the Junior Davis Cup. In 2021, he marked his professional debut, but it’s 2023 that has truly catapulted his career. His triumph in the Open Citta della Disfida in Italy, a challenger event, propelled him into the top 200 rankings.
Starting the ATP 500 Japan Open ranked at world number 215, Shintaro has astonished fans across the globe with his remarkable performance. This remarkable display not only captivated the tennis world but also elevated his standing in it.
Mochizuki surprises tennis world with three consecutive Top 50 victories
In his eighth attempt, Shintaro Mochizuki hadn’t clinched an ATP win, but it was on his ninth try that luck finally smiled upon him. He defeated world No. 31 Tomas Etcheverry, a player who had previously reached the 2023 French Open quarterfinals. Yet, this victory was merely a glimpse of what Shintaro had in store.
In the second round, he achieved a career-defining moment by toppling the top-seeded Taylor Fritz in a thrilling match. Fritz dominated the opening set, serving up a bagel to Shintaro in the process. A swift finish seemed imminent, but the young opponent rallied tenaciously to claim the match, securing a 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory.
“I don’t really know what is happening right now. I lost the first set so easy, so quick. Everyone knows he is a great player but I kept fighting and that is all I could do,” an elated Mochizuki said after the match.
In the quarterfinals, Shintaro defeated yet another top-50 player when he demolished world No. 41 Alex Popyrin in three sets. The tournament has nevertheless made young Shintaro Mochizuki well-known despite the fact that Aslan Karatsev’s comeback ended his dream run in the semifinals. In an event that was won by another 20-year-old in the form of Ben Shelton, Shintaro proved age isn’t a barrier to upsetting top players.
What are your opinions on young Shintaro’s stellar run at the Tokyo Open? Will we see more of the youngster, and will he break the top-50 in the rankings? Let us know in the comments section below.
