Akane Yamaguchi
Akane Yamaguchi (山口茜, Yamaguchi Akane; born 6 June 1997) is a Japanese badminton player. She was a two-time world champion who won gold medals in the women's singles at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships. She was a member of the winning Japanese team at the Asian Junior Championships in 2012 and won the World Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014, the Asian Junior Championships in 2014, and the Asian Championships in 2019.
At the Asia Team Championships, Yamaguchi helped Japan win by 3–0 in 2017, 2018, and 2020. In 2018, she won the Uber Cup, which Japan had not won for 37 years.
Career
2010–2012
Yamaguchi won Japan's National Junior Championship in 2010.[4] She first competed professionally at the Osaka International in 2012. In July 2012, she represented Japan at the Asian Junior Championships in Gimcheon, South Korea. She reached the women's singles semi-finals, winning bronze after a 19–21, 9–21 loss to Nozomi Okuhara.[5] She was also part of Japan's national junior team that won the country's first junior mixed team title.[6][7] Yamaguchi reached the World Junior Championships final, losing to Okuhara again and finishing as runner-up.[8]
2013
In April 2013, Yamaguchi finished second to Kaori Imabeppu at the Osaka International in the women's singles event with a score of 20–22, 16–21.[9] She was the women's singles runner-up in the New Zealand Open, a Grand Prix tournament.[10] She participated in the Japan Open, unseeded. She defeated P. V. Sindhu, the bronze medalist from the 2013 world championships in two straight games in round sixteen.[11] She also defeated seeded player Tai Tzu-ying in a semi-final, leading to her match-up with her compatriot Shizuka Uchida, whom she beat in the final to become the youngest player to win the BWF Superseries tournament, aged only 16. This was also Japan's first ever victory at the home event since 1981.[11]
One year after losing the final at the world juniors competition, Yamaguchi won the title by beating her teammate Aya Ohori.[12][13] While in high school, Yamaguchi won the national badminton competition, competing in the women's singles event. At the 2nd Asian Youth Games held in Nanjing, China in August 2013, where she represented Fukushima Prefectural Tomioka High School, she won the gold medal in mixed doubles.[14] In October, she represented Japan at the East Asian Games held in Tianjin, China, where she finished third in the women's singles event, losing in three sets to Wang Shixian. After graduating from high school, she joined the Saishunkan Pharmaceutical badminton team.[15]
Yamaguchi was named the Most Promising Player of the Year by the Badminton World Federation in late 2013[16] and 2014.[17]
2014
At the Malaysian Open in January, Yamaguchi defeated reigning world champion Ratchanok Intanon in the first round in three games.[18] In February, still a teenager, Yamaguchi entered the 2014 Asian Junior Championships as the fourth seed. She won the title by defeating Chen Yufei from China.[19] She competed at the All England Open in March. She defended her World Junior crown,[20] winning against Chinese player He Bingjiao in the final round.[21]
She was part of the Japanese team that won the silver medal at the 2014 Uber Cup.[22] On 16 August, Yamaguchi served as the flag-bearer for the Japanese team at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.[23] She was the number one seed in the women's singles event, eventually winning the silver medal.[24]
At the China Open in November, Yamaguchi defeated top ranked players in two straight games, Wang Shixian, Sun Yu, Bae Yeon-ju and reached the final. She finished as runner-up in the tournament after losing to Saina Nehwal.[25] She then won the All Japan General Championships in December. At 17 years of age, she was the second-youngest player to win the tournament.
She qualified for participation in the end-of-year championships, the Superseries Finals tournament held in December. She won all of her group matches, against (former champion) Wang Yihan, Ratchanok Intanon and Tai Tzu-ying. She lost in the semi-final against Korean player Sung Ji-hyun.[26]
2015–2016
In 2015, Yamaguchi beat the reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui in the second round of the Indonesian Open.[27] She finished as the runner-up at the Japan Open, losing to Nozomi Okuhara, and won the Bitburger Open title.[28][29]
In 2016, Yamaguchi competed at the Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, where she was eliminated in the quarter-finals by compatriot Nozomi Okuhara.[30] That year, she also won two Superseries titles: the Korea Open, defeating Sung Ji-hyun in the final,[31] and the Denmark Open, where she defeated teammate Okuhara in the quarter-finals, Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marín in the semi-finals, and Tai Tzu-ying in the final.[32][33]
Yamaguchi was also a member of the Japanese teams that won a silver medal at the 2015 Sudirman Cup in Dongguan and a bronze medal at the 2016 Uber Cup in Kunshan.[34][35]
2017
In February, Yamaguchi contributed to Japan's first Asia Mixed Team Championships title and won the German Open via walkover against Carolina Marín.[36][37] In April, she was the runner-up at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, losing to Tai Tzu-ying.[38] In August, at the World Championships in Glasgow, despite being the top seed, she was eliminated in the third round by Chen Yufei.[39] She also reached the finals at the Australian Open (losing to Nozomi Okuhara),[40] the Denmark Open (losing to Ratchanok Intanon),[41] and the French Open (losing to Tai Tzu-ying).[42] In November, she claimed her first title of the year at the China Open, defeating China's Gao Fangjie.[43] She concluded the year by winning the Dubai World Superseries Finals in December, defeating P. V. Sindhu in the final. Yamaguchi ended the year as the highest-earning player, collecting US$261,363 from 15 tournaments.[44]
2018
In March, Yamaguchi won the German Open (Super 300), defeating Chen Yufei in the final.[45] She then reached her first final at the All England Open (Super 1000), finishing as runner-up to Tai Tzu-ying.[46] In April, 20-year-old Yamaguchi became World No. 1, dethroning Tai Tzu-ying.[47] In May, she contributed to Japan's gold medal win in the Uber Cup, first title for the country in 37 years.[48] In July, at the World Championships in Nanjing, Yamaguchi earned a bronze medal in the women's singles, reaching the semi-finals before losing to P. V. Sindhu.[49] In August, at the Asian Games in Jakarta, she was part of the gold medal-winning women's team and also secured a bronze medal in women's singles, losing in the semi-finals to P. V. Sindhu.[50][51] To cap off the year, she won the French Open (Super 750) in October, defeating Tai Tzu-ying in the final.[52]
2019
In February 2019, Yamaguchi won the German Open (Super 300) title, defeating the No. 3 seed Ratchanok Intanon in the final.[53] In April, she was the runner-up at the Malaysia Open (Super 750), losing to Tai Tzu-ying in the final.[54] She then won the Asian Championships, defeating top seed Chen Yufei in the semi-final and He Bingjiao in the final; this was her first Asian Championships title, she became the first Japanese women's singles player to achieve this.[55][56] In July, she won the Japan Open for the second time, her previous win being six years prior in 2013.[57] That same month, Yamaguchi secured her first Indonesia Open title (Super 1000), reaching the final by defeating world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying and winning the title by defeating P. V. Sindhu.[58] However, in August, she was defeated in the second round of the World Championships in Basel, Switzerland, losing to Yeo Jia Min of Singapore.[59] She later qualified for the World Tour Finals in Guangzhou, and reaching the semi-finals where she was defeated by Chen Yufei.[60]
2020–2021
In 2020, Yamaguchi won her first title of the year at the Thailand Masters, defeating An Se-young in straight games.[61] She was part of the Japanese team that won the Asian Women's team championship.[62][63] In 2021, Yamaguchi competed at the Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) as the number four seed, where she was defeated in the quarter-finals by P. V. Sindhu.[64] She won the Denmark Open for the second time, defeating An Se-young after An retired. This was her second Super 1000 title.[65] She won her second consecutive title by winning the French Open (Super 750) against Sayaka Takahashi.[66] At the Indonesia Masters final, she again faced An Se-young, losing in two games.[67] Yamaguchi ended the year by winning the World Championships (held in Huelva, Spain), defeating Tai Tzu-ying in the final. This made her the second Japanese women's singles player to win the World Championships after Nozomi Okuhara.[68]
2022
At the All England Open, Yamaguchi defeated An Se-young of South Korea (21–15, 21–15) to win the women's singles title for the first time.[69] She became the fourth Japanese women's singles player to win the All England Championship following Hiroe Yuki, Etsuko Takenaka and Nozomi Okuhara. In April, at the Asian Championships, Yamaguchi lost the final to Wang Zhiyi of China (21–15, 13–21, 19–21).[70] On 28 August 2022, Yamaguchi defeated Chen Yufei of China (21–12, 10–21, 21–14) in the women's singles final of the World Championships, securing her second consecutive world champion title.[71] This made her the first Japanese women's singles player to successfully defend the world title.[72][73] Yamaguchi was also named the 2022 BWF Female Player of the Year.[74] In December, she won BWF World Tour Final in Bangkok, Thailand, defeating Tai Tzu-ying (21–18, 22–20).[75]
Playing style
Chinese player Sun Yu described Yamaguchi's style, noting that despite her small stature, she is diligent, swift, and adept at retrieving difficult shots that others typically cannot save. Sun Yu characterized her play as based on patience and consistent performance, observing that she makes few mistakes and capitalizes on opponents' rushed errors. Another Chinese player, Wang Shixian, concurred that Yamaguchi is quick and nimble, suggesting challengers must match her speed.[76]
In 2019, Chinese team head coach Li Yongbo commented that Yamaguchi plays with patience and quality. Regarding her short stature and potential for further development, he stated that badminton talent is not limited by height restrictions, and her skill is sufficient to compensate for her height. He added that her future would depend on her performance in the coming year.[77]
Awards
Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
BWF Awards | 2013 | Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year | Won | [17] |
2014 | Won | [78] | ||
2022 | Player of the Year | Won | [79] |
Achievements
World Championships
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, Nanjing, China | ![]() |
16–21, 22–24 | ![]() |
[49] |
2021 | Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín, Huelva, Spain | ![]() |
21–14, 21–11 | ![]() |
[68] |
2022 | Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | ![]() |
21–12, 10–21, 21–14 | ![]() |
[71] |
2023 | Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark | ![]() |
21–23, 13–21 | ![]() |
Asian Games
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia | ![]() |
17–21, 21–15, 10–21 | ![]() |
[51] |
Asian Championships
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium, Wuhan, China | ![]() |
21–18, 11–21, 18–21 | ![]() |
[38] |
2019 | Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium, Wuhan, China | ![]() |
21–19, 21–9 | ![]() |
[55] |
2022 | Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Metro Manila, Philippines | ![]() |
21–15, 13–21, 19–21 | ![]() |
[70] |
2023 | Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ![]() |
12–21, 21–16, 15–21 | ![]() |
East Asian Games
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Binhai New Area Dagang Gymnasium, Tianjin, China | ![]() |
21–19, 19–21, 16–21 | ![]() |
Youth Olympic Games
Girls' singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China | ![]() |
24–22, 21–23, 17–21 | ![]() |
[24] |
World Junior Championships
Girls' singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Chiba Port Arena, Chiba, Japan | ![]() |
12–21, 9–21 | ![]() |
[8] |
2013 | Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() |
21–11, 21–13 | ![]() |
[13] |
2014 | Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim, Alor Setar, Malaysia | ![]() |
14–21, 21–18, 21–13 | ![]() |
[21] |
Asian Youth Games
Mixed doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
21–19, 19–21, 21–17 | ![]() |
[14] |
Asian Junior Championships
Girls' singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Gimcheon Indoor Stadium, Gimcheon, South Korea | ![]() |
19–21, 9–21 | ![]() |
[5] |
2014 | Taipei Gymnasium, Taipei, Taiwan | ![]() |
21–10,21–15 | ![]() |
[19] |
BWF World Tour (18 titles, 8 runners-up)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[80] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[81]
Women's singles
Year | Tournament | Level | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | German Open | Super 300 | ![]() |
21–19, 6–21, 21–12 | ![]() |
[45] |
2018 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
20–22, 13–21 | ![]() |
[46] |
2018 | French Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
22–20, 17–21, 21–13 | ![]() |
[52] |
2019 | German Open | Super 300 | ![]() |
16–21, 21–14, 25–23 | ![]() |
[53] |
2019 | Malaysia Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
16–21, 19–21 | ![]() |
[54] |
2019 | Indonesia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
21–15, 21–16 | ![]() |
[58] |
2019 | Japan Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
21–13, 21–15 | ![]() |
[57] |
2020 | Thailand Masters | Super 300 | ![]() |
21–16, 22–20 | ![]() |
[61] |
2021 | Denmark Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
18–21, 25–23, 16–5 retired | ![]() |
[65] |
2021 | French Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
21–18, 21–12 | ![]() |
[66] |
2021 | Indonesia Masters | Super 750 | ![]() |
17–21, 19–21 | ![]() |
[67] |
2022 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
21–15, 21–15 | ![]() |
[69] |
2022 | Japan Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
21–9, 21–15 | ![]() |
|
2022 | BWF World Tour Finals | World Tour Finals | ![]() |
21–18, 22–20 | ![]() |
[75] |
2023 | Malaysia Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
12–21, 21–19, 21–11 | ![]() |
|
2023 | India Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
21–15, 16–21, 12–21 | ![]() |
|
2023 | German Open | Super 300 | ![]() |
21–11, 21–14 | ![]() |
|
2023 | Malaysia Masters | Super 500 | ![]() |
21–17, 21–7 | ![]() |
|
2023 | Singapore Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
16–21, 14–21 | ![]() |
|
2023 | Canada Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
21–19, 21–16 | ![]() |
|
2023 | China Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
10–21, 19–21 | ![]() |
|
2023 | Hong Kong Open | Super 500 | ![]() |
21–18, 21–15 | ![]() |
|
2024 | French Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
21–18, 13–21, 10–21 | ![]() |
|
2024 | All England Open | Super 1000 | ![]() |
24–26, 1–11 retired | ![]() |
[82] |
2024 | Japan Open | Super 750 | ![]() |
21–12, 21–10 | ![]() |
[83] |
2024 | Japan Masters | Super 500 | ![]() |
21–12, 21–12 | ![]() |
[84] |
BWF Superseries (5 titles, 5 runners-up)
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[85] was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the BWF. BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011.[86] Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.
Women's singles
Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Japan Open | ![]() |
21–15, 21–19 | ![]() |
[11] |
2014 | China Open | ![]() |
12–21, 20–22 | ![]() |
[25] |
2015 | Japan Open | ![]() |
18–21, 12–21 | ![]() |
[28] |
2016 | Korea Open | ![]() |
20–22, 21–15, 21–18 | ![]() |
[31] |
2016 | Denmark Open | ![]() |
19–21, 21–14, 21–12 | ![]() |
[33] |
2017 | Australian Open | ![]() |
12–21, 23–21, 17–21 | ![]() |
[40] |
2017 | Denmark Open | ![]() |
21–14, 15–21, 19–21 | ![]() |
[41] |
2017 | French Open | ![]() |
4–21, 16–21 | ![]() |
[42] |
2017 | China Open | ![]() |
21–13, 21–15 | ![]() |
[43] |
2017 | Dubai World Superseries Finals | ![]() |
15–21, 21–12, 21–19 | ![]() |
[44] |
- BWF Superseries Finals tournament
- BWF Superseries Premier tournament
- BWF Superseries tournament
BWF Grand Prix (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the BWF and played between 2007 and 2017.
Women's singles
Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | New Zealand Open | ![]() |
17–21, 21–18, 20–22 | ![]() |
[10] |
2015 | Bitburger Open | ![]() |
16–21, 21–14, 21–13 | ![]() |
[29] |
2017 | German Open | ![]() |
Walkover | ![]() |
[37] |
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series (1 runner-up)
Women's singles
Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Osaka International | ![]() |
20–22, 16–21 | ![]() |
[9] |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
Performance timeline
- Key
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | G | S | B | NH | N/A | DNQ |
Overview
|
|
National team
Junior level
Team events | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Junior Championships | G | B | B | [7] |
World Junior Championships | S | 4th | B |
Senior level
Team events | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Asian Games | B | NH | ||||||||||||
Asia Team Championships | NH | A | NH | G | NH | G | NH | A | NH | A | NH | [62] | ||
Asia Mixed Team Championships | NH | G | NH | A | NH | A | NH | A | [36] | |||||
Asian Games | NH | B | NH | G | NH | B | NH | [50] | ||||||
Uber Cup | NH | S | NH | B | NH | G | NH | S | NH | B | NH | B | NH | [22][48] |
Sudirman Cup | A | NH | S | NH | B | NH | S | NH | S | NH | B | NH | B | [87] |
Individual competitions
Junior level
Girls' singles
Events | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Junior Championships | B | A | G | [5][19] |
Asian Youth Games | NH | R16 | NH | |
World Junior Championships | S | G | G | [8][13][21] |
Youth Olympic Games | NH | S | [24] |
Mixed doubles
Events | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Junior Championships | 2R | A | ||
Asian Youth Games | NH | G | NH | [14] |
World Junior Championships | 2R | A | ||
Youth Olympic Games | NH | RR |
Senior level
Women's singles
Events | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Asian Games | B | NH | ||||||||||||
Asian Championships | A | 2R | 2R | S | w/d | G | NH | S | B | QF | QF | [38][55][70] | ||
Asian Games | NH | 2R | NH | B | NH | A | NH | [51] | ||||||
World Championships | A | NH | 3R | B | 2R | NH | G | G | B | NH | Q | [39][49][59][68][71] | ||
Olympic Games | NH | QF | NH | QF | NH | QF | NH | [30][64] |
Tournament | BWF Superseries / Grand Prix | BWF World Tour | Best | Ref | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |||
Malaysia Open | A | QF | 2R | 1R | QF | QF | F | NH | 1R | W | QF | A | W ('23) | [54] | ||
India Open | A | 2R | SF | A | NH | A | F | 2R | A | F ('23) | ||||||
Indonesia Masters | A | NH | A | 2R | 2R | F | A | w/d | w/d | A | F ('21) | [67] | ||||
Thailand Masters | NH | A | W | NH | A | W ('20) | [61] | |||||||||
German Open | A | 1R | SF | W | W | W | NH | 2R | W | A | W ('17, '18, '19, '23) | [37][45][53] | ||||
All England Open | A | 1R | 2R | SF | F | SF | QF | QF | W | SF | F | SF | W ('22) | [46][69] | ||
Swiss Open | A | SF | 1R | A | NH | A | SF ('15) | |||||||||
Thailand Open | A | NH | A | QF | w/d | w/d | NH | QF | A | QF ('18, '22) | ||||||
w/d | ||||||||||||||||
Malaysia Masters | A | 1R | A | SF | 1R | 1R | NH | QF | W | A | SF | W ('23) | ||||
Singapore Open | A | QF | SF | QF | A | SF | NH | A | F | QF | SF | F ('23) | ||||
Indonesia Open | A | 1R | QF | 2R | QF | QF | W | NH | QF | QF | QF | w/d | SF | W ('19) | [27][58] | |
U.S. Open | A | SF | A | NH | A | SF ('15) | ||||||||||
Canada Open | A | NH | A | W | A | W ('23) | ||||||||||
Japan Open | 1R | W | 1R | F | SF | QF | QF | W | NH | W | QF | W | Q | W ('13, '19, '22, '24) | [11][28][57] | |
China Open | A | F | 2R | QF | W | SF | 1R | NH | F | SF | Q | W ('17) | [25][43][88] | |||
Macau Open | A | SF | A | NH | A | SF ('15) | ||||||||||
Australian Open | A | 1R | 2R | QF | F | A | NH | A | w/d | F ('17) | [40] | |||||
Korea Open | A | 2R | SF | W | SF | SF | 1R | NH | A | SF | 1R | W ('16) | [31] | |||
Hong Kong Open | A | QF | 2R | QF | QF | QF | SF | NH | W | A | W ('23) | |||||
Denmark Open | A | 2R | 2R | W | F | 2R | 1R | w/d | W | QF | w/d | 1R | W ('16, '21) | [33][41][65][89] | ||
French Open | A | QF | 1R | QF | F | W | SF | NH | W | SF | w/d | F | W ('18, '21) | [42][52][66] | ||
Hylo Open | A | W | A | W ('15) | [29] | |||||||||||
Korea Masters | A | SF | NH | A | SF ('19) | |||||||||||
Japan Masters | NH | w/d | W | W ('24) | [84] | |||||||||||
China Masters | A | 2R | 1R | NH | w/d | 1R | 2R ('18) | |||||||||
Superseries / World Tour Finals |
DNQ | SF | DNQ | RR | W | SF | SF | DNQ | SF | W | w/d | RR | W ('17, '22) | [26][44][75] | ||
New Zealand Open | A | F | A | SF | NH | F ('13) | [10] | |||||||||
Year-end ranking | 242 | 87 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | [47] | |
Tournament | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Best | Ref |
Women's doubles
Tournament | BWF Superseries / Grand Prix | Best |
---|---|---|
2012 | ||
Japan Open | 2R | 2R ('12) |
Year-end ranking | 127 | 114 |
Record against other players
Yamaguchi's record against year-end finals finalists, world championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 9 June 2025.[90]
|
|
References
- ^ Kattige, Medha (6 June 2020). "Akane Yamaguchi turns 23: Have a look at her Journey". FirstSportz. First Media Network Pvt Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ a b "選手・スタッフ紹介 山口 茜 ヤマグチ・アカネ" (in Japanese). Saishunkan Co.Ltd. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Akane Yamaguchi". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- ^ Kattige, Medha (6 June 2020). "Akane Yamaguchi turns 23: Have a look at her Journey". First Sportz. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Hearn, Don (6 July 2012). "Asian Juniors 2012 SF – Some usual suspects, some new faces". Badzine. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "Asian Juniors 2012 Team Final – Japan wins first team title". Badzine. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ a b Hearn, Don (3 July 2012). "Asian Juniors 2012 Team Final – Japan wins first team title". Badzine. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ a b c Komiya, Miyuki (2 November 2012). "World Juniors 2012 SF – Nozomi seals Japan's first ever title". Badzine. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Yu/Rie bags 3 titles of [International] Challenge in 3 weeks". BadPaL (in Japanese). 8 April 2013. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ a b c "【ニュージーランドオープン2013】第5日目(最終日) MS 武下が頂点に!!!". Smash and Net TV (in Japanese). 14 April 2013. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d Sukumar, Dev (22 September 2013). "Yonex Open Japan 2013: Day 6 – Teen Triumphs in Amazing Campaign". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "Results | SCG BWF World Junior Championships 2013". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Thongsombat, Kittipong (4 November 2013). "Kwang and Yamaguchi claim junior world championships". Bangkok Post. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "第2回アジアユースゲームズ". Nippon Badminton Association. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "山口茜うっすら化粧し実業団決意 再春館製薬所が新入団発表". Fukui Shimbun (in Japanese). 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016.
- ^ "Akane Yamaguchi Booking Agent Talent Roster". MN2S. MN2S Management Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Winners Savour BWF Awards". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ "Malaysia Open 2014 – Day 2: Intanon Out!". Badminton World Federation. 15 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Hearn, Don (23 February 2014). "Asian Juniors 2014 Finals – Akane and China win". Badzine. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "JATI BWF World Junior Championships". Tournament Software. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Sukumar, Dev (18 April 2014). "BWF World Junior Championships 2014 – Day 6: Chen Stars for China". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b Purohit, Abhishek (25 May 2014). "China win Uber Cup". The Pioneer. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ 朝日新聞デジタル. "ユース五輪、中国・南京で開幕 バドミントン山口が旗手". Archived from the original on 17 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ a b c Sukumar, Dev (22 August 2014). "Youth Olympic Games 2014 – Day 6: He Bing Jiao Battles Past Yamaguchi". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Saina Nehwal wins China Open Super Series". Times of India. 16 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b Alleyne, Gayle (21 December 2014). "BWF DD WSSF 2014 – Day 4 Session 2: 'Long' Suffering for Srikanth". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b Perada, Mathilde Liliana (5 June 2015). "Indonesia Open 2015 R16 – Top-seeded women go down". Badzine. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Gupta, R. K. (13 September 2015). "Lin Dan & Nozomi Okuhara Win Singles Championships As 2015 Japan Open Comes to an End". Kridangan. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Liew, Vincent (1 November 2015). "Angus Ng Ka Long, Akane Yamaguchi win Bitburger Open". Badminton Planet. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ a b "バド山口茜、奥原に敗れ涙「もっと強くなりたい」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 17 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Akane Yamaguchi Wins Second Superseries Title at Korea Open". Yonex. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ "Then & now: Akane Yamaguchi". International Olympic Committee. 10 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "Japan's Yamaguchi wins Denmark Open". EFE – Noticias. 23 October 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ "Sudirman Cup 2015: Japan Wins First Silver Medal". Yonex. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ Sukumar, Dev. "China Brook No Challenge – Uber Cup Review". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Japan win badminton Asia mixed team championships". Việt Nam News. 20 February 2017. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Butler, Nick (5 March 2017). "Chou Tien Chen wins all Taiwanese men's singles final at BWF German Open". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Liu, Fiona (2 May 2017). "Tai Tzu Ying wins Badminton Asia by wearing oversized shirts". BadmintonPlanet. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ a b "World Championships: Top seed Yamaguchi suffers shock exit". The Hindu. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Liew, Vincent (25 June 2017). "Nozomi Okuhara leads Japan to capture 3 titles at the Australian Open". Badminton Planet. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Sukumar, Dev (23 October 2017). "Intanon Regains Winning Touch – Singles Finals: Danisa Denmark Open 2017". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Neo, Mabel (30 October 2017). "World No.1 Tai Tzu-ying beats Akane Yamaguchi in French Open to win Champion Title". Taiwan News. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Liew, Vincent (19 November 2017). "Gao Fangjie's Cinderella run ended by Akane Yamaguchi in China Open final". BadmintonPlanet. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ a b c Hearn, Don (26 December 2017). "Akane Yamaguchi top badminton 2017 prize-winner with US$261,363". Badzine. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Rowbottom, Mike (11 March 2018). "Yamaguchi and Chou take singles honours at BWF German Open". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Nadkarni, Shirish (19 March 2018). "All England Open 2018: Ageing Lin Dan stopped in his tracks by aggressive Shi Yuqi; Tai Tzu Ying shows her class". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Badminton: Akane Yamaguchi becomes Japan's 1st world No. 1 singles player". Kyodo News. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Badminton: Japan wins Uber Cup for 1st time in 37 years". Kyodo News+. 26 May 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Badminton World Championships 2018: Sindhu sets up final against Marin". India Today. 4 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Japan women book spot in team badminton final at Asian Games". Japan Times. The Japan Times Ltd. 21 August 2018. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Asian Games 2018 PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi Semifinals Highlights: Sindhu Beats Yamaguchi, Will Face World No.1 For Gold". NDTV. 27 August 2018. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ a b c Sukumar, Dev (29 October 2018). "Yamaguchi Breaks Tai's Spell – Finals: Yonex French Open 2018". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Badminton: Momota, Yamaguchi win as Japan dominates German Open". Kyodo News. 4 March 2019. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
- ^ a b c "Badminton world No. 1 Tai retains Malaysia Open women's singles title". Taiwan Today. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
- ^ a b c Nadkami, Shirish (28 April 2019). "Badminton Asia Championships 2019: Kento Momota, Akane Yamaguchi make it a Japanese singles clean sweep". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ Sukumar, Dev (29 April 2019). "Glory for Japan at Badminton Asia Championships". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Kento Momota and Akane Yamaguchi capture titles at badminton's Japan Open". The Japan Times. 28 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "Indonesia Open 2019 Final: PV Sindhu Loses To Akane Yamaguchi, Fails To Capture Maiden Super 1000 Title". Outlook. 21 July 2019. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Badminton: Top seed Akane Yamaguchi suffers opening upset at worlds". Kyodo News. 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Badminton: World No. 1 Momota to face Indonesian Anthony for 11th title of the year". The Straits Times. 14 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Thailand Masters: Ng Ka Long Angus snaps three-year title drought". Badminton Nation. 26 January 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Japan blanks Indonesia in Badminton Asia meet". The Manila Times. 15 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ "Japan retain women's Asia Team crown". New Straits Times. 16 February 2020. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b Shah, Mohit (30 July 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Olympics: PV Sindhu defeats home favourite Akane Yamaguchi to reach semis". ESPN. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b c Lloyd, Owen (24 October 2021). "Axelsen rallies to victory while Yamaguchi wins after An retirement in Denmark Open". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Singh, Shubham (1 November 2021). "French Open Badminton: Akane Yamaguchi claims the title". Telecom Asia. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Siswanto, Putri (24 November 2021). "The prodigy badminton player, An Se-young, has won the Indonesia Masters 2021". Korea.net. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Sukumar, Dev (19 December 2021). "Akane Yamaguchi reigns supreme". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "House of Yamaguchi in fashion at Yonex All England Open". All England Badminton. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "Asian Badminton C'ships 2022: Wang Zhi Yi stuns Akane Yamaguchi, Lee Zii Jia takes men's title". ThePrint. 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "BWF World Championships 2022: Akane Yamaguchi Retains Women's World Title". CNN-News18. 28 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "'I've never been so emotional'". BWF. 30 August 2022. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "Viktor Axelsen wins 2nd BWF World Championships crown, Akane Yamaguchi retains title at home". India Today. 28 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "Axelsen, Yamaguchi, Zheng / Huang claim BWF Player of the Year 2022 awards". Olympics.com. 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "Axelsen, Yamaguchi win BWF World Tour Finals". Sportstar. AFP. 11 December 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "尷尬!中羽賽女單28年首次無緣決賽". 新華社. 26 August 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- ^ "李永波:林丹对羽毛球理解更深 支持改11分制". 网易体育 (in Simplified Chinese). 26 August 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
李永波也点评了这位日本小将的表现:"她打得有耐心,质量也可以,至于说她个子矮小以后发展空间不大,我认为羽毛球魅力不受到身高限制,她的球路弥补身高不足,至于以后发展如何,要看能否在一年中保持住。"
- ^ "Chen, Zhao Honoured for Stellar 2014". Badminton World Federation. 16 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "Axelsen, Zheng and Huang Rewarded For Stellar Seasons". Badminton World Federation. 5 December 2022. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Marin wins women's singles title as Yamaguchi retires". All England Badminton. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Kumar, Prem (26 August 2024). "Japan Open: Yamaguchi Seals Legacy". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ a b Jiwani, Rory (17 November 2024). "Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024: Singles triumphs for Yamaguchi Akane and Li Shifeng". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ "BWF Launches Super Series". Badminton Australia. 15 December 2006. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007.
- ^ "Yonex All England Elevated To BWF Premier Super Series Event". IBadmintonstore. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ^ "China in 16th Successive Final". bwfbadminton.com. 3 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Miyazaki outclasses senior Yamaguchi to book a spot in final". The Star. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Pierre, Dianne (17 October 2024). "Denmark Open: Yeo Comes Good Against Yamaguchi". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Akane Yamaguchi head to head". BWF. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
External links
- Akane Yamaguchi at BWFBadminton.com
- Akane Yamaguchi at BWF.TournamentSoftware.com (archived)
- Akane Yamaguchi at Kumamoto Saishunkan Badminton Team
- Akane Yamaguchi at Smash and Net TV (archived)
- Akane Yamaguchi at Nippon Badminton Association
- Akane Yamaguchi at Olympics.com
- Akane Yamaguchi at Olympedia
- Akane Yamaguchi – Paris 2024 at Team Japan (in Japanese) (in English)
- Akane Yamaguchi – Tokyo 2020 at Team Japan (in Japanese) (in English)
- Akane Yamaguchi – Rio 2016 at Team Japan (in Japanese) (in English)
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Fukui Prefecture
- Japanese female badminton players
- Badminton players at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics
- Badminton players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Badminton players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Badminton players at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic badminton players for Japan
- Badminton players at the 2014 Asian Games
- Badminton players at the 2018 Asian Games
- Badminton players at the 2022 Asian Games
- Asian Games bronze medalists for Japan
- Asian Games gold medalists for Japan
- Asian Games medalists in badminton
- Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games
- World No. 1 badminton players
- 21st-century Japanese sportswomen