Having just turned 20 years old a few weeks ago, Rei Sakamoto is already making history in Japanese tennis. The Nagoya native, standing at 6’4″ (193 cm) with a powerful serve and forehand, captured his first ATP Tour victory at the 2026 Miami Open with a trademark “samurai” celebration that has quickly become his signature.
Born on June 24, 2006, Sakamoto has rocketed from junior standout to a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 148 (achieved June 15, 2026), becoming Japan’s No. 3 player. His rise has been driven by hard work, a fierce competitive streak, and rapid progress on the professional tour, where he has already claimed three ATP Challenger titles before turning 20.
Early Life and Discovering Tennis
Sakamoto did not follow a straight path into tennis. Growing up in Japan, where baseball dominates, he initially dreamed of emulating stars like Shohei Ohtani. He also tried swimming and volleyball (both parents played the sport at a high level). Tennis clicked immediately.
“I also wanted to be a baseball player, since baseball is so big in Japan,” Sakamoto has said. “Then I went for swimming and tennis was one of [the sports]. I felt like I was so talented in tennis. That first time I gripped my racquet, I knew I was going to be a good player.”
At age 15, he made a bold move to train at the IMG Academy in Florida, immersing himself in the international junior circuit. The decision paid off quickly.
Junior Dominance and ITF World No. 1
Sakamoto compiled an impressive 114-39 singles record on the ITF Junior circuit. He captured the 2024 Australian Open boys’ singles title, defeating Jan Kumstát 3–6, 7–6(7–2), 7–5 in the final. He also won the 2024 US Open boys’ doubles title alongside Maxim Mrva and reached the French Open boys’ doubles final.
In May 2024, he ascended to the ITF junior world No. 1 ranking. After his Australian Open junior triumph, he reflected on the mental demands of the sport: “I am playing the best tennis of my life since last week, I am trusting myself… The mental side is the most important part. It’s about focus, the brain. It’s the most important part, 80 per cent of tennis is the brain.”
The Professional Leap and Challenger Success
Sakamoto turned professional and began making people take notice in 2024. At 18 years and five months, he claimed his first ATP Challenger title at the Yokkaichi Challenger in his home country, defeating Christoph Negritu in the final 1–6, 6–3, 6–4. He became the second-youngest Japanese player to win a Challenger title, behind only Kei Nishikori. The win propelled him to a career-high No. 412.
His rise accelerated in 2025. He captured the Cary Tennis Classic (defeating Liam Draxl 6–1, 6–4), reaching a new career-high of No. 206 shortly after. He then won the Yokohama Keio Challenger (defeating Kaichi Uchida 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–4). These victories made him the first Japanese teenager to win three Challenger titles.
The wins resulted in a meteoric ranking climb. By late 2025 he had reached as high as No. 159, before hitting his career peak of No. 148 in mid-June 2026.
Breakthrough on the ATP Tour
Sakamoto’s transition to the main tour is gaining momentum in 2026. He qualified for the Australian Open main draw (without dropping a set in qualifying) and made his debut there, though he fell in the first round to Rafael Jodar in a gripping five-set marathon. We may look back on that match as one of the great first round Slam match-ups!
The highlight came at the Miami Open, where he received a wildcard and secured his maiden ATP Tour victory against Aleksandar Kovacevic. In a thrilling three-set battle (6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7)), he converted his fifth match point to advance to the second round, where he faced Daniil Medvedev. He was far from embarrassed in that match, taking the first set, but ultimately going under in three sets.
Sakamoto celebrated with his now-famous “samurai” pose — a dramatic, sword-like gesture that reflects his on-court identity. He has explained its origins: “Ah, maybe you can have your own celebration or something to do after the match… And then I said, ‘Hey, what if I do this?’ At that time I had long hair and my hair looked more like a samurai. That is where it started.”
His samurai philosophy runs deeper than celebration. “Samurais, they have to go to battle and then they have to kill people to be alive. So that’s the main thing,” he told ATPTour.com. “When I’m going on the court, I’m ready to win the battle and always staying in the moment, fighting until the end. That’s the samurai.”
Mindset, Maturity, and Off-Court Personality
Sakamoto’s coach, Federico Ricci, has praised both his physical tools and evolving tactical understanding. “Especially if it’s in combination perhaps with his other skillset, which is his touch or the ability of mixing such a high ball speed with more creative shots such as slices, drop shots [and] by surprise coming into the net… His average ball speed is quite high and [he has] the ability of mixing that up with more variety and creative shots,” Ricci noted.
Sakamoto has had to mature quickly as he transitions to the professional tour. After early struggles, he and Ricci realigned their approach in early 2025, moving beyond a junior-style “hit hard” mentality toward smarter risk-reward decisions and greater mental stability.
Off the court, Sakamoto reveals a fun, dry-humored personality through his YouTube channel, REIVOLUTION. He shares cooking videos with his own comedic style. He enjoys the platform as “a good platform to expose my personality a little bit more than I can do on court.”
Looking Ahead
His current ranking sits at #164, but is in a slightly better position in the Race, sitting at #139. He also finds himself in ninth position for the ATP Next Gen Race, but there are very few points separating Moise Kouame in fourth (257), to Sakamoto (209), so expect to see him entrench himself in the end of year tournament.
With a career ATP record of 1–6 (as of mid-2026) and prize money of $492,140 (singles and doubles combined), Sakamoto has already achieved what many juniors only dream of, however, it’s clear he is just getting started, and the top 100 should be an obvious goal in the next six months.
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