Inspired by Kei Nishikori, Rei Sakamoto hits US Open qualies after “dream” IMG Academy stint

Like many tennis fans, Rei Sakamoto spent the second Saturday in June in front of the TV watching Carlos Alcaraz battle Jannik Sinner for the Roland Garros title.

“I think I watched almost all of it,” he recalled to me just before Wimbledon, “from second set to the end.”

“They were just blowing my mind,” he added. “That was outstanding.”

The 19-year-old wasn’t planning to fly to SW19, his ranking just outside the cut-off for Grand Slam qualifying. Sakamoto hoped to change that in time for the final major of the season.

“It’s a pretty tough goal to have but I think having one really motivates me,” he explained. “I hope I can make it.”

A fan of the 2000s series Breaking Bad, Sakamoto became the one who knocks this summer, winning an ATP Challenger title in Cary, North Carolina, and rocketing up almost 100 spots in the rankings to ensure his debut in US Open qualifying.

For Sakamoto, it was his second Challenger title in seven months; the teenager lifted his first trophy in Yokkaichi, Japan—less than an hour away from his hometown of Nagoya.

“My whole body was almost collapsing,” he recalled of the final, a three-set comeback against Christoph Negritu, “but a couple of my friends came to watch me play. My whole family was there, and the federation was supporting me that week. Plus, the crowd was helping me to win the tournament. All of that together helped me push through the end of the match.”

Unseeded in Cary, Sakamoto stunned top seed Tristan Schoolkate in straight sets and dropped just five games to No. 2 seed Liam Draxl in the final. Less than a year into his first full season on the Challenger circuit, the world No. 200 is easing into the transition from his successful junior career.

In Japan, there are not a lot of chances to play against players from Europe or America, or other countries around the world,” said Sakamoto. Whenever I’m [at the IMG Academy], I get to practice with some pros and good level juniors. I would say this place was the most competitive environment I’ve ever trained at, so it’s helping me a lot. Rei Sakamoto

“I think being in that competitive atmosphere on the ATP Challengers, being in that zone is the only way to get better,” said Sakamoto, a former junior No. 1.

Sakamoto topped the junior ranks thanks to a major victory at the Australian Open, where he became the second Japanese player to win a Grand Slam tournament in boy’s singles. The rise in Japanese junior talent can be traced to the boost they receive from the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund, which provides an IMG Academy scholarship to the best teenagers in the country.

“This was my dream academy,” said Sakamoto, who began training there just before his 16th birthday. “I was so pumped just to be here and to be able to train. I was a little bit insecure about the language, the culture, and the food. I worried about missing my parents. But everyone welcomed me really nicely, and there are some Japanese people at the academy, so it really wasn’t too tough of a transition.”

One familiar face around the academy was Kei Nishikori, a fellow Morita Fund recipient and former world No. 4 who became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final at the 2014 US Open.

“Growing up, I watched a lot of Kei’s matches,” said Sakamoto. “I think most of the tennis juniors in Japan see Kei as an idol, and I was one of them. He’s just such a nice guy. We’ve practiced a couple times and he’s still very much my idol.”

When I spoke to him at the Cincinnati Open, Nishikori was reluctant to take too much credit for juniors like Sakamoto and Wakana Sonobe, another Morita Fund recipient and former junior No. 1.

“I think they work really well; they work hard and practice well,” Nishikori said. “I can see how hard they’re working all the time, so they’re achieving a lot on tour already. I hope to see more from them coming up.”

Sakamoto credited the IMG Academy’s resources and competitive environment with helping hone his game and prepare him for a future on the ATP tour.

“In Japan, there are not a lot of chances to play against players from Europe or America, or other countries around the world,” said Sakamoto. Whenever I’m here, I get to practice with some pros and good level juniors. I would say this place was the most competitive environment I’ve ever trained at, so it’s helping me a lot.

“The coaches are also really helpful. I know they have a lot of experience, and that helped me a lot. Even though my English wasn’t very good at the beginning, they were so patient,” he added. “I think it was the best decision to come here.”

The decision appears to have paid off so far, putting Sakamoto on the precipice reaching the same stage as players like Nishikori, Alcaraz, and Sinner. Three wins away from a Grand Slam main-draw debut, he will face American Tyler Zink in the first round on Tuesday.