'I'm 83, but I hope to keep playing tennis until I’m 90 years old'

It took them 24 hours to get to Mallorca, Spain for the 2023 ITF Masters World Team Championships last month, but Japan's women's 80 team were adamant that it wasn't just worth the journey but a 'dream' to compete in tennis on the international stage.

The W80+ Japan team, composed of Kachiko Matsuo, Sueko Inagaki, Machiko Nakamura, Kumi Tsuchihashi and Emiko Saito in the W90+ category at the 65-90 Individual event, certainly made their mark at the World Championships.

“The flight from Japan took us 24 hours, but we came here because we hope to see many friends," said team captain Sueko Inagaki.

While their motivation to undertake the lengthy journey was partly social, it was also the opportunity to compete against players from across the globe that attracted Inagaki to the event.

“My dream was to compete in international competitions like this," she said. "I am 83, but I hope to keep playing tennis until I’m 90 years old or more.”

The Japanese ladies formed the first W80+ team from their nation to compete at the World Championships, and ultimately delivered a credible 6th-place finish - which included an impressive 3-0 victory over Finland in the group stage.

Saito also wrote her name into the history books in the Individual Championships, becoming only the second champion in the W90+ category, which was introduced for the first time in 2022.

She followed that achievement by winning the inaugural W90+ doubles event alongside compatriot Chizuko Shigemitsu.

With Asia identified as a priority growth region for the ITF Masters Tour from 2023-2026, the increase in team and individual entries from Asian nations in Mallorca cannot be understated.

This is especially true because Japan will host the 45+ World Team and Individual Championships in 2024 – the first time an Asian nation will host a World Championships event.

The exploits of the W80+ Japan team and the successes of Saito and Shigemitsu in Mallorca confirm what we already know: these are exciting times for Masters tennis in Japan.