Source: REUTERS/Arko Datta
[Saba Sports News] Japan’s 18-year-old beauty Miyazaki Tomoka ranks seventh in women’s singles and is the only teenager among the top ten in the world. Miyazaki told BWF in an interview that she feels a lot of pressure, mainly from increased attention from others, but hopes to turn this pressure into strength and ultimately become a world-class top player. Miyazaki believes there is still a gap between her current level and that of top players, and to reach higher levels, she needs to strengthen both her mental and spiritual aspects, which she currently lacks, and which are key to becoming a top player. Besides mental aspects, Miyazaki also needs to improve her physical fitness. She admitted that her upper body strength is insufficient and will continue to enhance it. In the 2024 season, Miyazaki had impressive performances, reaching the semifinals of the BWF World Tour four times, and even made it to the final of the Super 1000 China Open, though she only won the runner-up position. This year, her best performance was reaching the semifinals of the Indian Open, which helped her world ranking rise steadily. Currently, her world ranking of No. 7 is her career high.