Kento Momota

Kento Momota was born on September 1, 1994, in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture. Momota started playing badminton in the second grade of elementary school.

Momota quickly displayed his skills by winning the prestigious All Japan Elementary School Championships. During his time in junior high school in Fukushima Prefecture, Momota continued to excel in badminton. In his third year, he emerged victorious in the All Japan Junior High School Championships. With his sights set on further improvement, Momota enrolled in Tomioka High School in Fukushima prefecture to continue honing his skills.

Momota’s talent gained recognition on an international stage when he participated in the 2011 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Taiwan. Towards the end of that year, he began competing against senior players in the All Japan Badminton Championship. 

In 2012, Momota made his mark in the Asian Junior Championships held in Gimcheon, South Korea. Learning from his previous experiences, he avenged his defeat from the previous year and claimed the title of 2012 Asia Junior Champion by defeating Soong Joo Ven of Malaysia in straight games.

The same year, Momota also achieved success in the World Junior Championships hosted in Chiba, Japan. In a closely contested final, he triumphed over China’s Xue Song in a thrilling rubber game match. As Momota progressed in his badminton career, he transitioned to the international challenge competition level in 2013.

In 2014, during Japan’s first Thomas Cup victory, Kento Momota emerged victorious in all his matches while playing as the second men’s singles player. The following year, he became the first Japanese player to win the Singapore Open and captured a Super Series title in men’s singles. This victory also earned him the distinction of being the youngest Super Series champion in that category.

Continuing his impressive performances, he replicated his success from the Thomas Cup in the 2015 Sudirman Cup as he played a significant role in Japan securing the runner-up position. Additionally, he made history by becoming the first Japanese player to win a medal in the men’s singles category at the prestigious BWF World Championships held in Jakarta. He then triumphed at the 2015 BWF World Superseries Finals in Dubai.

After a brief absence, he made a comeback to the Japanese national team in late 2017. In 2018, he claimed the Asian Championships title by defeating China’s Chen Long in the finals. He further strengthened his position in the badminton world by winning the World Championships in 2018 by defeating Shi Yuqi of China. This victory propelled him to become the first Japanese men’s singles player to reach the top spot in the BWF World rankings in September 2018.

In 2019, he continued his winning streak by clinching the German Open title and subsequently triumphing at the All England Open, becoming the first Japanese man to achieve this feat. He also secured his second Asian Championships title by defeating Shi Yuqi in a thrilling three-game match. Additionally, he emerged victorious at the Singapore Open, Japan Open, and successfully defended his World Champion title.

Throughout 2019, he displayed sensational performance by winning titles at the China Open, Korea Open, Denmark Open, and Fuzhou China Open. He concluded his remarkable year by securing his 11th title, the World Tour Finals, defeating Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia.

In the early stages of the 2020 season, he maintained his position as the men’s singles world number one and displayed his skills by defeating Viktor Axelsen to win the Malaysia Masters. Unfortunately, he suffered injuries in a fatal accident soon after, resulting in a broken nose, as well as injuries to his lips and face.

In 2021, Momota represented Japan at the Sudirman Cup and helped the team reach the finals, although they were ultimately defeated by China. He also won a bronze medal at the Thomas Cup. In November of the same year, he made a successful comeback by winning the Indonesia Masters, defeating Anders Antonsen in a one-sided final. However, in the following season, Momota faced challenges which resulted in a decline in the world rankings and a decrease in his performance level.

In 2019, Kento Momota was awarded with the best male player of the world in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings. He was nominated as the Best Male Athlete by the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive.