is a retired Japanese badminton player. She competed in the women's singles event and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 10. She was a member of the Japanese national team and played for the BIPROGY badminton team.
Takahashi won bronze medals at the 2013 and 2014 Asian Championships. She won three BWF Grand Prix titles between 2013 and 2017 and four BWF World Tour titles in 2018, including the Super 500 Singapore Open. She later reached her first Super 750 final at the French Open.
In team competition, Takahashi was part of the Japanese team that won the 2018 Uber Cup, Japan's first title in the competition since 1981. She helped Japan retain the women's team title at the 2020 Asian Team Championships. She also earned silver medals at the 2014 and 2020 Uber Cups and the 2021 Sudirman Cup, as well as bronze medals at the 2014 Asian Games and 2022 Uber Cup.
Early life Takahashi was born in Kashihara, Nara, and began playing badminton in the second grade of elementary school. She trained with Kashihara Junior, where her mother was involved as a coach. Growing up alongside her older sister, badminton player Ayaka Takahashi, she felt pressure to match her sister's achievements and disliked being known simply as "Ayaka Takahashi's younger sister". This influenced her decision to attend different schools from Ayaka. In 2004, she won the girls' A division of the National Elementary School ABC Tournament.
Takahashi attended Wago Junior High School in Toyama, where she won the singles title at the All Japan Junior High School Championships in 2007. She subsequently attended Toyama Prefectural Takaoka Nishi High School. In 2008, she and Kanako Konishi won the girls' doubles title at the All Japan Junior Championships. The following year, Takahashi represented Japan at the Asian Junior Championships in Kuala Lumpur, reaching the quarterfinals in both girls' singles and doubles and earning a bronze medal with the Japanese mixed team.
In her final year of high school in 2010, Takahashi won the singles titles at both the National High School Selection Championships and the Inter-High School Championships, while finishing runner-up in doubles at both events. She also reached the women's doubles quarterfinals at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Mexico. After graduating from Takaoka Nishi High School, she joined Panasonic's corporate badminton team.
Career 2012–2014 Takahashi began her international career in 2012 by claiming four titles on the BWF International Challenge and Series circuits, winning the Austrian, Osaka, Maldives, and Scottish International tournaments. That same year, she reached her first Grand Prix-level final at the Malaysia Open, where she finished runner-up to Busanan Ongbamrungphan. She later reached the final of the Canada Open, finishing runner-up to Nozomi Okuhara.
In April 2013, Takahashi won her first Grand Prix Gold title at the Australian Open, defeating Thailand's Nitchaon Jindapol in the final. Later that month, she secured a bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Taipei, where she lost to world number one Li Xuerui in the semifinals. By November 2013, Takahashi had risen to world number 13, making her the highest-ranked Japanese women's singles player at the time.
In March 2014, Takahashi won the German Open, defeating top seed Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea in the final. The following month, she won her second consecutive bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Gimcheon, South Korea, after losing to Sung in the semifinals. In May, Takahashi was part of the Japanese team that finished runner-up at the Uber Cup in New Delhi. She played the second singles match in the final against China, losing to Wang Shixian. At the Asian Games in Incheon later that year, she was part of the Japanese women's team that won a bronze medal. In the Asian Games individual women's singles event, Takahashi was eliminated in the first round by Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei.
2015–2017 In early 2015, Takahashi won the Portugal International and Osaka International. In October, she suffered a right knee injury while attempting to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The injury sidelined her from international competition for 11 months, ending her attempt to qualify for the Olympics. During her rehabilitation, Takahashi watched her older sister Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo win Japan's first Olympic gold medal in badminton in the women's doubles event. Takahashi later revealed that she had been close to quitting the sport, but was encouraged to continue by her sister's Olympic success and her encouragement for them to play and win together.
Takahashi returned to international competition in September 2016 at the Japan Open, progressing from the qualifying rounds to the quarterfinals before losing to China's Sun Yu. During the tournament, Takahashi said that she wanted to establish her own identity as a player rather than simply being known as Ayaka Takahashi's younger sister. In November, she won the Malaysia International, her first international title since returning from injury. She also reached the quarterfinals of the All Japan Championships in December.
In 2017, Takahashi won the Portugal International and Osaka International. In September, she won the Vietnam Open, defeating home favourite Vũ Thị Trang in the final.
2018–2020 In February 2018, Takahashi won her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Super 300 Swiss Open, defeating compatriot Natsuki Nidaira. In May, she claimed another Super 300 title at the New Zealand Open, defeating China's Zhang Yiman in the final. Later that month, Takahashi was part of the Japanese team that won the Uber Cup in Bangkok, Japan's first title in the competition since 1981.
In June, Takahashi finished runner-up at the Canada Open, losing to 2012 Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China. The following month, she won her first Super 500 title at the Singapore Open, defeating China's Gao Fangjie in the final. Later that month, Takahashi won the inaugural Akita Masters, defeating compatriot Mako Urushizaki. The victory was her fourth World Tour title of the season.
In February 2019, Takahashi reached a career-high world ranking of No. 10. In September, she reached the semifinals of the China Open, defeating sixth seed Ratchanok Intanon in the quarterfinals before losing to reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marín.
In February 2020, Takahashi helped Japan retain the women's team title at the Asian Team Championships in Manila, defeating Sung Ji-hyun in the second singles match to secure Japan's victory over South Korea in the final. Later in 2020, Takahashi suffered a severe lower back injury that threatened to derail her career. She later said that she had considered quitting badminton during the difficult period and that it took around four months to recover.
2021–2023 Takahashi returned to represent Japan at the Sudirman Cup in September 2021, helping the team win a silver medal despite being only 90 percent fit. The following week, Takahashi captained the Japanese women's team at the postponed Uber Cup in Aarhus, Denmark, where Japan finished runner-up to China. Later in October, Takahashi reached her first Super 750 final at the French Open, defeating P. V. Sindhu in the semifinals. She finished runner-up after losing the final to compatriot Akane Yamaguchi.
In March 2022, Takahashi reached the quarterfinals of the All England Open after defeating world No. 7 P. V. Sindhu in the second round. In May, she captained the Japanese women's team at the Uber Cup in Bangkok, where Japan won a bronze medal. In June, Takahashi suffered a right calf muscle tear during the Indonesia Open, forcing her to retire from her second-round match. The injury kept her out of competition for two months before she returned at the World Championships in Tokyo in August. In her opening match, Takahashi defeated South Korea's Kim Ga-eun in three games after receiving encouragement from her sister Ayaka. She was eliminated in the third round by eventual champion Akane Yamaguchi. Following the Japan Open, Takahashi announced on 20 September that she was withdrawing from the Japanese national team, citing her repeated struggles with injuries and a feeling that she had accomplished what she had set out to do.
Takahashi continued to compete domestically for her corporate team, BIPROGY, in the S/J League. The league's final stage in February 2023 marked the end of her competitive career. On 3 April, BIPROGY announced that Takahashi had retired and left the company effective 31 March 2023.
Personal life Takahashi is the younger sister of Ayaka Takahashi, who is a badminton doubles player.
Achievements Asian Championships Women's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result Ref 2013 Taipei Arena, Taipei, Taiwan Li Xuerui 18–21, 21–18, 12–21 Bronze 2014 Gimcheon Indoor Stadium, Gimcheon, South Korea Sung Ji-hyun 21–23, 13–21 Bronze
BWF World Tour (4 titles, 2 runners-up) The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.
Women's singles Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result Ref 2018 Swiss Open Super 300 Natsuki Nidaira 21–12, 21–18 Winner 2018 New Zealand Open Super 300 Zhang Yiman 21–13, 21–14 Winner 2018 Canada Open Super 100 Li Xuerui 20–22, 21–15, 17–21 Runner-up 2018 Singapore Open Super 500 Gao Fangjie 25–23, 21–14 Winner 2018 Akita Masters Super 100 Mako Urushizaki 21–11, 13–21, 21–18 Winner 2021 French Open Super 750 Akane Yamaguchi 18–21, 12–21 Runner-up
BWF Grand Prix (3 titles, 3 runners-up) The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.
Women's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref 2012 Malaysia Grand Prix Gold Busanan Ongbamrungphan 17–21, 20–22 Runner-up 2012 Canada Open Nozomi Okuhara 8–21, 16–21 Runner-up 2013 Australian Open Nitchaon Jindapol 24–22, 21–10 Winner 2014 German Open Sung Ji-hyun 21–17, 8–21, 21–12 Winner 2015 Malaysia Masters Nozomi Okuhara 13–21, 17–21 Runner-up 2017 Vietnam Open Vũ Thị Trang 21–9, 21–14 Winner BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series (9 titles) Women's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref 2012 Austrian International Chan Tsz Ka 21–17, 21–9 Winner 2012 Osaka International Yui Hashimoto 22–20, 21–19 Winner 2012 Maldives International Yu Wakita 21–17, 21–16 Winner 2012 Scottish International Kim Hyo-min 21–6, 21–8 Winner 2015 Portugal International Aya Ohori 21–13, 21–14 Winner 2015 Osaka International Sayaka Sato 21–11, 15–21, 29–27 Winner 2016 Malaysia International Ho Yen Mei 21–17, 21–11 Winner 2017 Portugal International Chisato Hoshi 21–10, 21–15 Winner 2017 Osaka International Lee Jang-mi 21–16, 21–18 Winner BWF International Challenge tournament BWF International Series tournament
Record against selected opponents Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 15 March 2022.
Player Matches Win Lost Petya Nedelcheva 3 3 0 +3 Chen Yufei 8 0 8 –8 Han Yue 5 3 2 +1 He Bingjiao 5 1 4 –3 Li Xuerui 8 2 6 –4 Wang Shixian 6 0 6 –6 Wang Xin 1 1 0 +1 Wang Yihan 3 1 2 –1 Wang Zhiyi 1 0 1 –1 Zhang Yiman 5 3 2 +1 Cheng Shao-chieh 2 0 2 –2 Tai Tzu-ying 7 1 6 –5 Juliane Schenk 1 0 1 –1 Yip Pui Yin 6 6 0 +6 Saina Nehwal 8 4 4 0 P. V. Sindhu 9 5 4 +1