【WOWOW Inc.】 The wheelchair division of the US Open Tennis
Championships kicks off late at night on Tuesday, September 2nd. WOWOW local reporter Shuzo Matsuoka interviews Kaito Oda and Yui Kamiji!
WOWOW Co., Ltd. Press release: September 2, 2025 To Members of the Press The US Open Tennis Tournament kicks off late at night on Tuesday, September 2nd. WOWOW’s local reporter, Shuzo Matsuoka, interviews Kaito Oda and Yui Kamiji in the wheelchair division! https://wod.wowow.co.jp/genre/122
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8401/1355-8401-5dcebdd2677b7a0aac77770817b33d8c-1108×1477.jpg Matsuoka: What are your thoughts on the US Open? Oda: I’m really looking forward to it (laughs). It’s been a while since I’ve played on a hard court, and every time I play in New York, I get excited and feel fresh. I’m really excited, like, “I want to show off my tennis!” It’s been two years since the last tournament, so it feels like a long time ago, and it really feels like it’s been a while since I last came here. Looking at the numbers alone, I haven’t had much success, but I don’t have any negative impressions of this tournament. I feel like, “Well, I’m sure I can do it!” Matsuoka: Speaking of men’s tennis, there’s currently Sinner and Alcaraz, and in wheelchair tennis there’s Oda and Hewett. How do you feel about this rivalry? Oda: I want to look up to those two as role models. There’s a slight age difference between us (Hewett and I), so I think there are some differences, but I’ve been winning a lot lately, so rather than seeing him as a rival, I think winning would only be about competing in the final and winning. We both have a strong desire to reach the final and play our best tennis. Just like at Wimbledon, I want to have a fierce match. Matsuoka: Sinner is precise and serious, while Alcaraz is
free-spirited and passionate. Each of you has your own unique style and personality, but what kind of person and personality does Oda have? Oda: What’s fun to watch is Alcaraz’s playing style. I’d say I’m more of an Alcaraz type, but that alone isn’t interesting, so I want to add my own style to it. I have a tendency to play the game pretty calmly, and I’m conscious of not showing my emotions on my face. I think that’s what makes my style a little different from overseas players. As someone who represents Japan, I value that aspect very much. Matsuoka: Oda is one of the most popular tennis players in Japan. What do you want to convey through your play? Oda: First and foremost, I want people to be surprised and say, “Wow, this guy is amazing!” (laughs). To achieve that, I need to win in order for people to think that way, and no matter how cool I try to act, if I lose, it won’t work. I believe that only by winning can I express what I want to express. Matsuoka: You’re wearing a hat with a flame design. Is your soul burning? Oda: Yes, I’m burning! I think I’ll try to show that much emotion. It definitely feels different from previous tournaments. Even after spending a few days here, I feel like I’m more motivated than usual. I think I’ve been getting better results so far when I’m like that, so I’d like to do the same this time (laughs). Matsuoka: I’ll never forget the interview I did here two years ago, crying after losing at the US Open. Are you able to forget those feelings, in a good way? Oda: It remains, in a good way, as a bad memory from the past. I haven’t somehow gotten over it, and I don’t think, “I’m where I am today because of that experience.” If I had won there, I would have been the youngest (to win), so I don’t think it needs to remain as a good thing. It remains in my mind as something I regret, and that makes me work harder, and I sometimes have flashbacks to that experience. Yui Kamiji
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8401/1355-8401-ce654ffa1832d1d3dce13c8db3ee3dcc-1179×689.jpg Matsuoka: You said you had a feeling of retiring after the 2012 London Paralympics, but how do you feel about continuing to compete ever since? Kamiji: I think it’s a long story (laughs). I feel happy that I’ve been able to do things I couldn’t do before, and it doesn’t end there, I find new things I want to do. Every game and practice brings new challenges and things I need to do, so it really never ends. In a sense, if I could play perfect tennis in a match or practice, I wonder if that’s the time to end it. So far, I’ve never had such a perfect match or practice, so I’m still in a situation where I feel like I have to step on the court tomorrow. Matsuoka: What does perfect tennis mean to you, Kamiji? Kamiji: Because I’m small, I can’t win with power or long reach. So I think my style is based on tactically forcing my opponent to do things they don’t like, forcing them to make mistakes, and then forcing them into a corner. While I have that style of play, in recent years I’ve also started to challenge myself to take the initiative and attack, so there’s still a lot I want to do there. I still don’t know what perfect tennis I need to be able to play and be satisfied with. Matsuoka: At the Paris Paralympics, you won in such an amazing way that I wondered if you were going to retire. How did you feel at the time? Kamiji: The moment the match ended, I felt very satisfied and thought I’d given it my all. I was able to try various things, such as staying up front and forcing my opponent to move forward, which have been my weaknesses until now, and I was able to achieve those results in the match, so I was really satisfied. While I was preparing for the post-match interview, thinking about what to talk about, rather than saying I gave it my all, I had a lot of positive reflections, like “I should have done this at that time” and “If I had scored points in this way, the flow might have changed.” After the match, I realized that as long as those thoughts were still plaguing me, I couldn’t quit. Matsuoka: What regrets do you have about Wimbledon (in July)? Kamiji: At Wimbledon, I didn’t know what I should have done. After I got home, I watched the footage on WOWOW over and over again. But I still couldn’t find a breakthrough. Even after watching the match once or twice, there was nothing that I could say with confidence that if I used this technique next time, I would definitely win. I think that was due to the characteristics of the grass court, and there were many factors that came into play, including her (Wang Jiying, who played in the final) calm play, so it was a frustrating and difficult match. Matsuoka: Besides you, the Chinese players are also getting stronger. How do you feel about that? Kamiji: I’m keeping an eye on them, and I think we need to take proper measures. However, I don’t remember a year in which Asian players have been able to compete so much in a Grand Slam, so I’m happy that players from China and Japan are now able to compete consistently. It’s been a few years since the tournament was expanded to a 16-player draw, and I think half of the players are Asian, so I’m really happy about that. I also want to take the lead among these Asian players and lead them. There are more and more young players younger than me, and many powerful players from Asia are emerging, so every game is really tough. I’ve been experimenting and trying new things in this tournament, so I hope to be able to show that in the games, even if just a little. Matsuoka: How do you see Wimbledon in the year ahead, when you still have one more year to complete your career Golden Slam? Kamiji: When my Wimbledon match ended, I thought, “Another year.” A year is a long time, so I’m not thinking about quitting. On the other hand, I think the fact that I think a year from now is a long time means that I think it’s a long time (because I intend to continue competing). I don’t have a clear vision of how I’ll be playing on grass in a year, but I’ll keep working hard until I can win a title. Matsuoka: Are you excited about the US Open? Kamiji: Now that you mention it, I have a lot of feelings about my wheelchair and my playing style (laughs). I practiced with Kunieda in Orlando before coming to New York, and there are many things I want to do. I hope to be able to fight by interacting with my opponents, deceiving them, and making good judgments about the situation, rather than just focusing on myself. Matsuoka: As expected, Kunieda-san always says nice things to me? Kamiji: I got totally beaten up (laughs). He was practicing well, but on the last day he got totally beaten up. That gave me energy and was encouraging. ＊＊WOWOW Broadcast and Streaming
Information＊＊ “US Open Tennis” Exclusive live broadcast every day from Sunday, August 24th to Monday, September 8th! 〔WOWOW Live〕〔WOWOW On Demand〕 【Wheelchair Tennis Main Streaming Schedule】 September 2 (Tue) (Court 10, Match 3) “Men’s Wheelchair Doubles First Round: G. Fernandez, Kaito Oda vs. M. de la Puente, R. Spaargallen” [WOWOW On Demand] (Court 15, Match 1) “Women’s Wheelchair Doubles, First Round: Yui Kamiji, K. Mongenes vs. A. Bernard, K. Chasteau” [WOWOW On Demand] 【Related Program Information】 “Men’s Tennis Team Tournament: Laver Cup, European Team vs. World Team” Exclusive live broadcast every day from September 20th (Sat) to September 22nd (Mon)! [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] “Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis” Exclusive live broadcast every day from September 24th (Wed) to September 30th (Tue)! [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] “Mitsubishi Electric Building Solutions All Japan Tennis Championships 100th Anniversary Supported by Hashimoto Sogyo Holdings” Streaming every day from Sunday, October 5th to Sunday, October 12th! [WOWOW On Demand] “Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Women’s” Exclusive live broadcast every day from 10/13 (Monday/Holiday) to 10/19 (Sunday)! [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] “Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis” Exclusive live broadcast every day from Monday, October 20th to Sunday, October 26th! [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] ■For the latest information on broadcast and streaming, check the program’s official website and official SNS! ■ [WOWOW On Demand] https://wod.wowow.co.jp/genre/122 [WOWOW Tennis Official Website] https://www.wowow.co.jp/sports/tennis/ [WOWOW Tennis Official X] https://x.com/wowowtennis [WOWOW Tennis Official Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/wowowtennis/