The thrill of victory never gets old, especially in the biggest sporting events. Just ask Yui Kamiji, who triumphed in the Australian Open women's wheelchair singles final on Saturday, January 25.
Kamiji's 6-2, 6-2 triumph over the Netherlands' Aniek van Koot produced her first Grand Slam singles title since the 2020 French Open.
"Every Grand Slam [is] really special. … It's always challenging for me. I'm really happy," Kamiji proclaimed after beating van Koot in Melbourne, Australia.
It was the 70th singles match of the storied Kamiji-van Koot rivalry, the tournament website noted. The Japanese star, who previously won Australian Open singles titles in 2017 and 2020, now holds a 49-21 edge.
Commenting on the familiarity she has with her longtime opponent, Kamiji, 30, told reporters after the match that she tries to spring a surprise or two when she competes against van Koot.
"I have some new ideas against her, especially for today. I'm always trying to change some things, which I can't tell you," Kamiji said, smiling, according to the Australian Open website.
Before Saturday's 1 hour, 16-minute title-clinching match, world No 2 Kamiji had lost 10 consecutive appearances in Grand Slam singles finals (in all four tournaments) ― all against Dutch great Diede de Groot.
At the 2025 Australian Open, de Groot was sidelined after undergoing surgery. Meanwhile, top-seeded Kamiji forged ahead with sustained excellence, winning four straight matches without dropping a set to claim the title.
Sustained High Level of Play for Yui Kamiji
In September 2024, Kamiji claimed gold medals in the women's singles and doubles competitions on back-to-back days at the Paris Paralympics. It was a vivid reminder of her impressive skills on the tennis court.
Kamiji, a former world No 1, was listed second in the end-of-year rankings every year from 2018-24.
Looking ahead, as she aims to win more titles, Kamiji also hopes to have ample opportunities to keep competing against van Koot.
"It's always fun to play against van Koot," the nine-time Grand Slam singles champion was quoted as saying by Sports Nippon. "I hope to play her 70 more times in the future."
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Hewett Defeats Oda in Men's Wheelchair Singles Final
Alfie Hewett of Britain and Japanese teenager and world No 1 Tokito Oda renewed their rivalry on Saturday in the Australian Open men's wheelchair singles final.
World No 2 Hewett avenged his loss in the tournament's 2024 final by beating Oda 6-4, 6-4 for his 10th career Grand Slam singles title.
Oda, now 18, also faced Hewett in the 2023 final in Melbourne and lost in three sets.
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Oda emerged victorious over Hewett in the final.
After securing his second Australian Open singles title, Hewett told reporters that Oda has raised the level of competition in men's wheelchair tennis.
"Tokito has come on tour and made us all just be better because we have to be," Hewett said, according to UK news agency PA. "Otherwise, he will dominate.
"Of course, in the moment it's painful when you lose and you are wondering whether it's going to be a long road ahead. He's so young, as well. You have to be challenged [and] you have to be pushed to your limits."
Hewett described his competitive relationship with Oda that anyone with a casual interest in the sport can understand.
"We have a good relationship, and I'm glad that he's pushing me," Hewett said on Saturday, "and I'm sure I'll be pushing him, and he will say the exact same. It's a bit of a Federer-Nadal situation ― wheelchair version."
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Soccer
Celtic FC Star Furuhashi to Join French Side Rennes
Veteran forward Kyogo Furuhashi, who made his Scottish Premiership debut with Celtic FC in July 2021, is on the verge of a transfer to French Ligue 1 squad Rennes.
The deal is imminent, according to Celtic FC manager Brendan Rodgers. It will involve a £10 million GBP (roughly $12.5 million USD, or ¥1.95 billion JPY) payment from Rennes to the Glasgow-based club.
Pending the results of a physical, Furuhashi's deal was to be announced as early as Saturday, January 25 according to Rodgers, BBC Sport reported.
Celtic leads the Scottish Premiership with 60 points, 13 clear of second-place Rangers.
With Furuhashi on the move before the February 3 transfer window deadline, the Scottish powerhouse squad is also working for the return of Portuguese winger Jota, who departed in 2023 to play in the Saudi Pro League and is now on the Rennes roster. The fee for Jota to reunite with Celtic is said to be £8 million (about $10 million, or nearly ¥1.6 billion), according to news reports.
Heading into the weekend of January 24-26, Furuhashi had appeared in 32 league matches in the 2024-25 season and scored 12 goals.
Furuhashi Wants a Change of Scenery
Furuhashi, who turned 30 on January 20, has expressed the desire for a change of scenery, aiming to compete in one of Europe's top-five soccer leagues.
In fact, Rodgers told reporters this week that Furuhashi had asked for a chance to play elsewhere.
"Kyogo had expressed an interest to leave a number of months back and then that expression becomes stronger and then it gets to the stage where he clearly very [much] wants to leave," Rodgers said, according to a Sky Sports report.
"Then, sadly, we have to then do a deal and look to finalize that for him. He's been an incredible player for the club for the three and a half years he's been here and he's not someone that we wanted to lose, but we have to accept where he's at."
Furuhashi generated excitement for Cetic fans throughout his tenure with the club, scoring 85 goals in 165 matches (all competitions).
Stay tuned for further details on SportsLook.
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Baseball
Sasaki Says Dodgers' Stability Impressed Him
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, the good news officially arrived via a text message.
Shohei Ohtani relayed a message from Roki Sasaki to Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations.
Ohtani's text simply stated that Sasaki had decided to join the Dodgers, according to published reports.
The Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays were three finalists in the Sasaki sweepstakes. More than 20 MLB teams expressed interest in signing the 23-year-old, and he eventually had meetings with eight clubs.
He signed a six-year minor league contract with Los Angeles and received a $6.5 million USD (¥1 billion JPY) signing bonus.
Friedman opened a news conference on Wednesday, January 22 in Los Angeles by "announcing the signing of one of the most electrifying and promising talents in the game, Roki Sasaki."
In his opening remarks, Sasaki said humbly, "Putting on this Dodgers uniform today, I am reminded that my journey is just about to begin."
He continued: "As I transition to the major leagues, I am deeply honored that many teams reached out to me with such enthusiasm, especially considering I haven't achieved much in Japan. I am truly grateful to all the team officials who took the time to meet with me during this process."
'An Incredibly Difficult Decision'
Sasaki described it as "an incredibly difficult decision" and as "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to choose a place purely where I can grow as a player the most."
The Iwate Prefecture native summarized what swayed him to join the reigning World Series champion Dodgers, stating it wasn't the fact that Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were on the squad.
"Whether there were Japanese players on the roster wasn't important to me," Sasaki said. "I think the most important thing was the stability of the front office."
MLB Teams' Pursuit of Sasaki
Joel Wolfe, Sasaki's agent, said it was a toss-up, admitting he believed the Padres, Blue Jays and Dodgers all had a chance to sign Sasaki.
"The Padres and Blue Jays made tremendous pitches [and] presentations. They left it on the field," Wolfe said, according to The Associated Press. "When they left Toronto, I felt like he could easily go to Toronto. [And] when we left San Diego, I felt like he could easily choose San Diego."
Wolfe then said, "When he came here, I really thought the entire process was a coin flip. I had no idea what he was going to say when he ultimately said, 'OK, it's Dodgers.' "
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Briefly…
The Urawa Reds Ladies captured the Empress' Cup with a 5-4 triumph over the Albirex Niigata Ladies soccer team in a penalty shootout on Saturday, January 25 in Hiroshima. After 90 minutes of regulation, the match featuring WE League rivals was tied 1-1. Urawa won its first Empress' Cup in 2022.
Veteran left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who played nine seasons for NPB's Chunichi Dragons, signed a two-year deal with Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals on Friday, January 24, the last day of the 45-day posting period. Ogasawara, 27, had a 46-65 win-loss record and a 3.62 ERA in 162 appearances for Chunichi.
B.League club Altiri Chiba became the first team in B2, aka the second division, to reach 30 wins in the 2024-25 season. Coach Andrej Lemanis' basketball squad collected its 30th win on January 13 with a 92-52 away rout of Bambitious Nara. On Saturday, January 25, Chiba (31-2) hammered the visiting Yamagata Wyverns 91-70.
The Japan Sumo Association will stage an exhibition tour in Paris on June 13 and 14, 2026, it was announced on January 19. Makuuchi (top-division) wrestlers will participate in tournaments on both days. Paris previously hosted JSA exhibition tours in 1986 and '95.
Quotes of the Week
"I was able to receive many votes from the writers, and [I am] grateful for them. But there was one writer that I wasn't able to get a vote from. I would like to invite him over to my house, and we'll have a drink together and have a good chat."
―Newly elected MLB Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who received 393 of 394 votes from Baseball Writers' Association of America members. The National Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 was announced on Tuesday, January 21.
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"At 31 years old, I cannot imagine the end of my career. … [But] it would be nice to end my career on a positive note."
―Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue reflects on his future as a pro boxer after his 29th win in 29 professional fights on Friday, January 24.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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