Yosuke Watanuki Explained

Yosuke Watanuki
綿貫 陽介
Residence:Saitama, Japan
Birth Date:1998 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Saitama, Japan
Height:1.8m (05.9feet)
Turnedpro:January 2016
Plays:Right-handed (two handed-backhand)
Careerprizemoney:$1,010,727
Coach:Yusuke Watanuki
Singlesrecord:15–21
Singlestitles:0
Highestsinglesranking:No. 72 (30 October 2023)
Currentsinglesranking:No. 153 (6 May 2024)
Australianopenresult:2R (2023)
Frenchopenresult:Q2 (2023)
Wimbledonresult:2R (2023)
Usopenresult:1R (2023)
Doublesrecord:2–3
Doublestitles:0
Highestdoublesranking:No. 374 (7 January 2019)
Currentdoublesranking:No. 572 (5 February 2024)
Updated:25 March 2024

is a Japanese professional tennis player.[1] He has a career-high ATP ranking of World No. 72 achieved on 30 October 2023 and a doubles ranking of No. 374 achieved on 7 January 2019.He is currently the No. 3 Japanese player.[2]

Juniors

On the junior tour, Watanuki has a career high combined ranking of No. 2 achieved on 21 March 2016. Watanuki was the winner of the 2016 Campeonato Internacional Juvenil de Tenis de Porto Alegre, a Grade A event in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Professional career

2018–19: ATP & ATP 500 debuts & first win, Maiden Challenger title

He made his ATP and ATP 500 debut at the 2018 Citi Open after qualifying.

Watanuki first main draw match victory on the ATP Tour came at the 2018 Rakuten Japan Open over Robin Haase as a qualifier.[3]

He won his maiden title at the 2019 Kobe Challenger.[4]

2021–22: ATP quarterfinal, Two Challenger titles, Top 150

Watanuki entered the 2021 Winston-Salem Open as a lucky loser and won his first match against Jaume Munar. He lost to Márton Fucsovics in the second round.

He reached the quarterfinals of an ATP tournament for the first time in his career, winning his first two matches in a row at this level, as a lucky loser at the 2022 ATP Lyon Open. First he defeated eight seed Pedro Martínez for his second top-50 win.[5] Next he defeated Kwon Soon-woo[6] to set up a quarterfinal with Alex de Minaur.[7] As a result, he returned to the top 225 in the rankings climbing 40 positions in the rankings at world No. 223 on 23 May 2022.

He qualified for his third ATP 500 at the 2022 Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and second time at this tournament, but lost to Kyle Edmund who was playing his first singles match after his comeback.[8]

In November he won two back-to-back titles in Japan at the Hyōgo Noah Challenger in Kobe and in Yokkaichi defeating Frederico Ferreira Silva in both and moved into the top 150 at world No. 145 on 28 November 2022.[9]

2023: Grand Slam & Masters debuts and first wins, top 75

In January, Watanuki qualified for the 2023 Australian Open to make his Grand Slam debut.[10] [11] He beat Arthur Rinderknech in the first round in straight sets for his first Major win before losing to Sebastian Korda.[12]

Watanuki qualified for his first Masters 1000 2023 Miami Open and won his first round match against fellow qualifier Benoît Paire but lost to 12th seed Frances Tiafoe. As a result, he moved to a new career high ranking of No. 107 on 3 April 2023.

Ranked No. 117, he also qualified for his second Masters at the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open and defeated Corentin Moutet in the first round.

At the 2023 BOSS Open he qualified and won his first round match against wildcard Feliciano López.[13] He entered the main draw at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships as a lucky loser for the first time at this Major and defeated Marc-Andrea Huesler in a five set match for his second Major win.As a result, two weeks later, he reached the top 100 at world No. 99 on 31 July 2023.[14]

At the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters he defeated wildcard Juncheng Shang to reach the second round for the third time at a Masters level in the season. As a result, he rose into the top 75 in the rankings.He received a wildcard for the ATP 500 Japan Open.

He finished the season ranked inside the top 100 at world No. 99.

Personal life

Watanuki has two brothers, Yusuke and Keisuke, who are both also professional tennis players.

Challenger and Futures Finals

Singles: 14 (9–5)

Legend (singles)
ATP Challenger Tour (4–4)
ITF Futures Tour (5–1)
Titles by surface
Hard (9–5)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1–0Japan F4, TsukubaFuturesHard Shintaro Imai1–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win2–0Japan F5, KashiwaFuturesHard Makoto Ochi6–3, 6–3
Win3–0Japan F7, TokyoFuturesHard Kento Takeuchi4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Loss3–1Chinese Taipei F1, TaipeiFuturesHard Daniel Nguyen6–7(8–10), 1–6
Win4–1Chinese Taipei F2, TaipeiFuturesHard Yusuke Takahashi6–2, 6–3
Win5–1Japan F4, TsukubaFuturesHard Renta Tokuda7–5, 6–1
Loss5–2Kobe, JapanChallengerHard (i) Tatsuma Ito6–3, 5–7, 3–6
Win6–2Kobe, JapanChallengerHard (i) Yūichi Sugita6–2, 6–4
Loss6–3Cleveland, USAChallengerHard (i) Mikael Torpegaard3–6, 6–1, 1–6
Loss6–4Yokohama, JapanChallengerHard Christopher O'Connell1–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6
Win7–4Kobe, JapanChallengerHard (i) Frederico Ferreira Silva6–7(3–7), 7–5, 6–4
Win8–4Yokkaichi, JapanChallengerHard Frederico Ferreira Silva6–2, 6–2
Loss8–5Shanghai, ChinaChallengerHard Christopher O'Connell3–6, 5–7
Win9–5Yokohama, JapanChallengerHard Yuta Shimizu7–6(7–5), 6–4

Other significant finals

Gold Medal matches

Singles: 1 (1 silver medal)

ResultYearwidth=150TournamentSurfacewidth=170Opponentwidth=200 class="unsortable"Score
bgcolor=silverSilver2022Asian GamesHard4–6, 6–7(7–9)

Record against top 10 players

Watanuki's record against players who have been ranked in the top 10, with those who are active in boldface. Only ATP Tour main draw matches are considered:

Playerwidth=70RecordWin %width=60Hardwidth=60Claywidth=60GrassLast Match
Number 1 ranked players
Daniil Medvedev0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (6–3, 5–7, 1–6) at 2018 Washington
Number 2 ranked players
Casper Ruud0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (6–7(6–8), 3–6) at 2023 Tokyo
Alexander Zverev0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (4–6, 7–5, 2–6, 2–6) at 2023 Wimbledon
Number 3 ranked players
Milos Raonic0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (3–6, 6–7(2–7)) at 2018 Tokyo
Number 5 ranked players
Taylor Fritz0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (6–7(2–7), 7–6(8–6), 4–6) at 2023 Shanghai Masters
Number 6 ranked players
Félix Auger-Aliassime1–0bgcolor=lime1–0style=background:#cfc;text-align:leftWon (7–6(12–10), 7–6(7–3)) at 2023 Washington
Number 8 ranked players
Cameron Norrie0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (4–6, 6–7(5–7)) at 2023 Madrid Masters
Number 9 ranked players
Hubert Hurkacz0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(5–7)) at 2023 Stuttgart
Number 10 ranked players
Frances Tiafoe0–10–1style=background:#ebc2af;text-align:leftLost (7–6(7–5), 6–7(3–7), 4–6) at 2023 Miami Masters
Total1–81–5
0–1
0–2
  • Statistics correct .

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 詳細ページ:綿貫 陽介. ja. Japan Tennis Association. 24 November 2018.
  2. Web site: ATP Rankings | Pepperstone ATP Rankings (Singles) | ATP Tour | Tennis. ATP Tour.
  3. News: 綿貫陽介が金星、44位ハーセ撃破「気持ち強かった」. ja. Nikkan Sports. 2 October 2018. 24 November 2018.
  4. Web site: Watanuki Clinches Maiden Title on Ninth Championship Point. ATP Tour .
  5. Web site: ATP Lyon Day 3 Predictions Including Cam Norrie vs Francisco Cerundolo . 16 May 2022 .
  6. Web site: ATP Lione: Norrie di ordinaria amministrazione, Watanuki sorprende Kwon, una certezza Baez. Avanti anche Guinard e Coria . 17 May 2022 .
  7. Web site: Good Sensations': Norrie Makes Winning Start In Lyon. 17 May 2022. ATPTour.
  8. Web site: Kyle Edmund returns from almost two-year layoff: "I didn't pick up a racquet for five or six months". Tennis.com. 20 May 2023.
  9. Web site: Riedi, Watanuki Capture Back-To-Back Challenger Titles. ATP Tour .
  10. Web site: Shang Juncheng: 17-Year-Old Charges into Australian Open Main Draw. 12 January 2023. ATP Tour .
  11. Web site: Five Challenger Tour Players to Watch at the Australian Open. 13 January 2023. ATP Tour .
  12. Web site: 'Going Up Together', Watanuki Rises With Brother By His Side . 23 February 2023.
  13. Web site: Sonego dominates Berrettini at Stuttgart Open . 12 June 2023 .
  14. Web site: Unleashing Freedom: Yosuke Watanuki's Thrilling Ride to Top 100 | ATP Tour | Tennis .