Yudai Okimoto

Yūdai Okimoto
Okimoto at the 2025 Kaohsiung Masters
Personal information
Born (2005-05-28) 28 May 2005
Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
CountryJapan
SportBadminton
HandednessRight
Coached byKazumasa Sakai
Men's singles
Career record95 wins, 24 losses (79.83%)
Highest ranking37 (24 March 2026)
Current ranking37 (24 March 2026)
BWF profile
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Japan
Asia Team Championships
2026 Qingdao Men's team
Asian Junior Championships
2023 Yogyakarta Mixed team
2023 Yogyakarta Boys' singles

Yudai Okimoto (沖本 優大, Okimoto Yūdai; born 28 May 2005) is a Japanese badminton player who competes in men's singles.[1][2] A member of the Japanese national team, he plays for the BIPROGY team.[3] Okimoto won a team gold medal and a boys' singles silver medal at the 2023 Asian Junior Championships. His first senior international title came at the 2024 Finnish International. On the World Tour, he reached the final of the 2025 Korea Masters, a Super 300 tournament. As of March 2026, Okimoto's highest world ranking is 37.

Early life

Okimoto was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. He began playing badminton at the age of six, influenced by his older brother.[4] He initially played both badminton and baseball, competing as a third baseman in a youth baseball league while training at the Hara Junior Club for badminton. He began playing badminton at age six and spent weekends practising badminton on Saturday mornings and playing baseball in the afternoons.[5][6]

After winning the All-Japan Elementary School Championships for three consecutive years beginning in 2015, Okimoto chose to focus exclusively on badminton.[7]

Okimoto attended Saitama Sakae Junior and Senior High School in Saitama Prefecture.[6]

Career

2023: Junior career and World Tour debut

On the European junior circuit in 2023, Okimoto won consecutive titles at the Dutch Junior International and the German Junior.[8][9] At the 2023 Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, he was part of the Japanese team that won the mixed team gold medal, Japan's first in 11 years.He also reached the boys' singles final, where he lost to Hu Zhe'an.[10] Okimoto concluded his junior career with a quarterfinal finish at the World Junior Championships.[11]

During his final year of high school in 2023, Okimoto won the team, boys' singles, and boys' doubles titles at the National High School Invitational Tournament.[12] He subsequently won the boys' singles and doubles titles at the National High School Championships (Inter-High).[13]

Okimoto was selected for the Japanese national B team in 2023, initially partnering with Daigo Tanioka in men's doubles.[5] In their World Tour debut at the Indonesia Masters Super 100 I, the pair defeated former world No. 1 Tan Wee Kiong and his partner Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub.

2024: First international title

In April, Okimoto joined the BIPROGY Badminton Team and shifted his focus to men's singles.[3] He won his first senior title at the Finnish International in April, followed by a victory at the Mauritius International in July.[14][15] He finished as runner-up at the Réunion Open.[16]

2025: First Super 300 final and World Top 50

In 2025, Okimoto reached consecutive finals in the Northern Mariana Islands, winning the Northern Marianas Open and finishing as runner-up at the Saipan International.[17][18][19][20] He later reached his first World Tour final at the Malaysia Super 100, finishing as runner-up.[21] He subsequently finished runner-up at his first Super 300 final at the Korea Masters.[22] Okimoto entered the world top 50 for the first time, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 42 on 16 December 2025.

2026

Okimoto was part of the Japanese team that won Japan's first men's team title at the Asia Team Championships.[23] On the World Tour, he competed at the Orléans Masters, advancing to the semi-finals before being defeated by the eventual champion, Alex Lanier of France.[24]

Playing style

Okimoto is known for a defensive, high-tenacity playing style that he describes using the term dorokusasa (泥臭さ, 'grittiness'). Standing at 165 cm, he consciously developed this style during high school to compensate for his smaller stature compared to international opponents. His game relies on extreme physical endurance and the determination to retrieve every shuttle, forcing opponents into long rallies.[4]

He has cited his baseball background as a contributing factor to his defensive positioning and shoulder strength in badminton, describing his court movement as reminiscent of a baseball infielder's.[25]

Personal life

Okimoto is a fan of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team. As a child, he played third base in a youth baseball league and aspired to become a professional baseball player. He has cited Carp infielder Tetsuya Kokubo as a childhood idol and later Shohei Ohtani as the athlete he most admires.[5][6] Within the BIPROGY team, he maintains a close mentorship with senior player Koki Watanabe, whom he cites as his technical role model for net-play and lobbing techniques. To manage the mental demands of professional competition, Okimoto enjoys sea fishing with teammates as a way to refresh and disconnect from the sport.[4]

Achievements

Asian Junior Championships

Boys' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result Ref
2023 Among Rogo Sports Hall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Hu Zhe'an 21–13, 14–21, 14–21 Silver [10]

BWF World Tour (2 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[26] 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.[27]

Men's singles

Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result Ref
2025 Malaysia Super 100 Super 100 Dong Tianyao 14–21, 17–21 Runner-up [21][28]
2025 Korea Masters Super 300 Jason Teh 14–21, 15–21 Runner-up [22]

BWF International Challenge/Series (3 titles, 2 runners-up)

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref
2024 Finnish International Grégoire Deschamp 17–21, 21–9, 21–17 Winner [14]
2024 Réunion Open Tharun Mannepalli 15–21, 15–21 Runner-up [16]
2024 Mauritius International Rizki Ansyahri 16–21, 21–7, 21–14 Winner [15]
2025 Northern Marianas Open Kim Hae-deun 13–21, 21–15, 21–18 Winner [17][18]
2025 Saipan International Riki Takei 14–16, 4–15 Runner-up [19][20]
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

BWF Junior International (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Boys' singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref
2023 German Junior Eogene Ewe 21–16, 14–21, 21–18 Winner [8]
2023 Dutch Junior International Hu Zhe'an 21–7, 11–21, 14–3 retired Winner [9][29]
2022 Malaysia Junior International Sora Ogaki 17–21 12–21 Runner-up [30]
  BWF Junior International Grand Prix tournament
  BWF Junior International Series tournament

Performance timeline

Key
W F SF QF #R RR Q# A G S B NH N/A DNQ
(W) won; (F) finalist; (SF) semi-finalist; (QF) quarter-finalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze medal; (NH) not held; (N/A) not applicable; (DNQ) did not qualify.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

National team

  • Junior level
Team events 2023 Ref
Asian Junior Championships G [31][32]
World Junior Championships 5th
  • Senior level
Team events 2026 Ref
Asia Team Championships G [23]

Individual competitions

  • Junior level
Events 2023 Ref
Asian Junior Championships S [10]
World Junior Championships QF [11]
  • Senior level
Event 2026 Ref
Asian Championships Q
Tournament BWF World Tour Best Ref
2024 2025 2026
Swiss Open A 2R 2R ('26)
Ruichang China Masters A 3R A 3R ('25) [33]
Orléans Masters A SF SF ('26) [24]
Thailand Open A Q ('26)
Baoji China Masters A QF A QF ('25) [34]
Indonesia Masters Super 100 A 2R QF ('25)
QF
Kaohsiung Masters A QF QF ('25)
Malaysia Super 100 2R F F ('25) [21][28]
Korea Masters A F F ('25) [35][22]
Syed Modi International A 1R 1R ('25) [36]
Guwahati Masters A QF QF ('25)
Year-end ranking 195 42 37
Tournament 2024 2025 2026 Best Ref

Record against selected opponents

Record against Year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 10 November 2025.[37]

References

  1. ^ "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Kakeru Kumagai, Yudai Okimoto, Daigo Tanioka, and Kanae Sakai joined the team on Monday, April 1st". BIPROGY (in Japanese). 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Break Through! Chapter 2: The spirit of continuing to challenge opens up the future: BIPROGY Badminton Team / Vol. 4 Yudai Okimoto". BIPROGY (in Japanese). 27 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b c Hirano, Takaya (30 March 2023). "Former baseball player and Hiroshima fan, Yudai Okimoto, who stands at just 164cm tall, wins three titles at the high school badminton tournament". The Answer (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". Badminton S/J League (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Yudai OKIMOTO | Profile". J Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b "YONEX German Junior: Japan, China and Korea win" (in German). 14 March 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ a b "Past winners: Men's Singles". Dutch Junior International. Retrieved 26 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ^ a b c "A Special Day for Indonesia in Yogyakarta". Badminton Asia. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ^ a b "Ayush Shetty wins bronze in BWF World Junior Championships". Sportstar. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  12. ^ "[2023 National High School Selection] Yudai Okimoto wins both singles and doubles! A magnificent triple crown!! (Men's Individual Competition)". Badminton Spirit (in Japanese). 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Inter-High Badminton: Saitama Sakae's Yudai Okimoto wins a double crown in singles and doubles... 'I wanted to make everyone on the team happy". Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 21 August 2023. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Here Are The Winners Of The Yonex Finnish International Badminton". Finnish Badminton Association (in Finnish). 28 April 2024. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  15. ^ a b "「モーリシャスインターナショナル2024」男子シングルス 沖本 優大、女子ダブルス 大澤 佳歩・⽥部 真唯（山陰合同銀行） 初優勝！" (in Japanese). BIPROGY Inc. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b Marchal, Pierre (8 July 2024). "Saint-Denis Réunion Badminton Open: An International Level". Zinfos974 (in French). Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Japan Dominates Finals at CROWNE PLAZA Northern Marianas Open". Badminton Oceania. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ^ a b Sablan Jr., James (12 August 2025). "Japan sweeps Crowne Plaza badminton titles". Marianas Variety. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Champions Crowned at CENTURY INSURANCE Saipan International 2025 – Finals Recap". Badminton Oceania. 16 August 2025. Archived from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  20. ^ a b Sablan Jr., James (18 August 2025). "Japan, Korea, and India claim badminton titles in Century Insurance tourney". Marianas Variety. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  21. ^ a b c "Yudai Okimoto takes second place in the men's singles at the Malaysian Super 100 2025!". BIPROGY (in Japanese). 20 October 2025. Archived from the original on 26 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  22. ^ a b c "Korea Masters: Jason Teh Breaks Lean Spell". Badminton World Federation. 9 November 2025. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  23. ^ a b "Badminton Asia Team: Maiden Title for Korea, Japan". Badminton World Federation. 8 February 2026. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  24. ^ a b "Orleans Masters: Clash of Generations". Badminton World Federation. 22 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  25. ^ Yamanobe, Kaho (10 September 2024). "The 19-Year-Old Badminton Prodigy Who Admires Shohei Ohtani: From "No. 3 Batter, Third Base" in Elementary School → To Becoming High School Badminton Champion, Yudai Okimoto's Dream". The Answer (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  26. ^ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  27. ^ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  28. ^ a b Zamri, Adam (19 October 2025). "Aaron-Khai Xing soar to maiden senior crown but wait continues for Ling Ching". The Star. Archived from the original on 22 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  29. ^ "U19 Japanese shuttlers win two titles at Dutch Junior" (in Japanese). BadPal. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  30. ^ Peter, Fabian (10 September 2022). "Juniors need a booster shot". New Straits Times. Retrieved 25 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. ^ "A Sweet Ending to an 11-Year Wait". Badminton Asia. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  32. ^ "[Asian Junior Championships 2023] Japan defeats host Indonesia 3-2! Becomes the Asian champion for the first time in 11 years! <Team Competition/Final>" (in Japanese). Badminton Spirit. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  33. ^ Komiyama, Hajime (17 March 2025). "Ruichang China Masters 2025 | Results". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 September 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  34. ^ Takajoh, Rinryu (8 September 2025). "Baoji China Masters 2025 | Results". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  35. ^ "Korea Masters: Okimoto Surges into Final". Badminton World Federation. 9 November 2025. Archived from the original on 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  36. ^ Igarashi, Yu (1 December 2025). "Syed Modi India International 2025 | Results". Badminton Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  37. ^ "Yudai Okimoto head to head". Badminton World Federations. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
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