Japan’s Paralympic champions Tokito Oda and Yui Kamiji will be the leading names in focus when wheelchair tennis gets underway at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, with the hosts looking to repeat their commanding performance at Hangzhou three years ago.
The competition, scheduled for October 19-23, will feature men’s, women’s and quad events. There is an added incentive this time, with the men’s and women’s singles gold medallists earning direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, provided they meet the minimum eligibility criteria.
Japan dominated the previous Asian Para Games in 2023, winning five of the six wheelchair tennis gold medals. Their players subsequently enjoyed considerable success at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where Japan topped the sport’s medal table with three golds and one silver.
Oda Returns With Another Grand Slam Season Behind Him
Oda, who won the men’s singles title at Hangzhou as a 17-year-old, returns to the spotlight after another impressive season on the international circuit.
The Japanese star defeated Britain’s Alfie Hewett 6-3, 6-3 in the 2026 French Open final and also beat his British rival at Wimbledon. His bid to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam, however, ended at September’s US Open, where Hewett gained revenge with a 6-0, 7-6(5) victory in the final.
Oda’s breakthrough at Hangzhou came when he defeated compatriot Takashi Sanada 6-3, 7-5 in the final. Japan swept the men’s singles podium, with Takuya Miki taking bronze.
A year later, Oda added Paralympic singles gold in Paris and partnered Miki to men’s doubles silver, establishing himself among the leading players in international wheelchair tennis.
Kamiji Arrives After Successful Us Open Title Defence
Japan will also have considerable strength in the women’s competition, led by Kamiji, who has enjoyed another successful season.
The 32-year-old successfully defended her US Open singles title in September, defeating Dutch rival Diede de Groot 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. She also partnered China’s Zhu Zhenzhen to the women’s doubles crown, beating Luoyao Guo and Momoko Ohtani in the final.
Kamiji’s performance at Paris 2024 remains a major milestone. She defeated De Groot to capture her first Paralympic singles gold and combined with Manami Tanaka to win the doubles title.
At Hangzhou, Kamiji defeated Zhu 6-2, 6-0 to retain her Asian Para Games singles crown. She also partnered Tanaka to doubles gold.
New Faces In Japan’s Quad Challenge
The quad competition offers an interesting contrast to Hangzhou. Japan won both quad titles in 2023, with Koji Sugeno beating compatriot Daisuke Ishito in the singles final. The pair also claimed doubles gold.
Neither feature in Japan’s announced 2026 squad. Instead, the hosts have selected Shota Kawano, Kei Usami and Takuya Ikeda, giving a new group the opportunity to continue the country’s success in the category
Japan’s wheelchair tennis high-performance director Kei Sato has set his team the target of winning gold in all six events as per reports.
China And South Korea Look To Challenge Japan
China’s Zhu Zhenzhen and Wang Ziying are among the players whose recent performances underline the country’s strength in women’s wheelchair tennis.
However, in Zhu’s absence from Aichi-Nagoya, Wang – who won the 2025 Wimbledon singles title – will carry China’s hopes in the singles competition.
China secured women’s singles silver and bronze at Hangzhou through Zhu and Wang respectively. Wang also partnered Luoyao Guo to win women’s doubles bronze at the Paris Paralympics.
South Korea will have Hangzhou’s men’s doubles success to build on. Han Sungbong and Im Howon defeated Malaysia’s Mohamad Yusshazwan Yusuf and Abu Samah Borhan in the final, denying Japan a clean sweep of all six titles. Malaysia’s silver medal at Hangzhou was another significant result, while Thailand and Chinese Taipei also featured on the quad podium.
