Image provided by AAS Management
Yuta Funamizu, competing on the U.S. professional pickleball tour, made history on May 10 (local time) by winning the men’s doubles final at the PPA 500 San Clemente, the season-ending event held in San Clemente, California. This marks the first time a Japanese player has claimed a title on the PPA Tour.
Funamizu and his partner Tama Shimabukuro (USA) entered the tournament as the third seed. In the second round (after a first-round bye), they defeated the pair of Wall/Miyoshi 2-0 (11-5, 11-7). In the quarterfinals, they upset the second-seeded team of AJ Koller and Blaine Hovenier 2-1 (11-9, 11-13, 11-6). The semifinals saw them overcome the 10th-seeded duo of Cason Campbell and Adam Harvey 2-1 (9-11, 11-2, 11-3). In the final, they faced the 21st-seeded team of Nicolas Acevedo and Clayton Powell, winning 2-0 (11-9, 11-4) to secure the gold medal.
Funamizu’s previous best result on the PPA Tour was a fourth-place finish, which he achieved at the Atlanta tournament in May 2026. With this victory, he has now improved his record in consecutive events, reaching the pinnacle of the sport just two years after transitioning to pickleball in 2024.
Following the win, Funamizu commented: “I’m incredibly happy to have won a U.S. pro tour event! First, I want to express my gratitude to everyone in Japan and the U.S. who has supported me. After last week’s disappointing fourth-place finish, my partner Tama and I sharpened our chemistry, and it paid off.”
He also had a message for young pickleball players in Japan: “I want them to know that if they keep challenging themselves with strong determination, the path to the world stage will open.” Looking ahead, he added, “Next, I’ll aim for the world No. 1 ranking.”