Japanese tennis player (born 1994)
Miyu Kato (加藤 未唯 , Katō Miyu , born 21 November 1994) is a Japanese professional tennis player who specializes in doubles.[ 1] On 1 January 2024, she peaked at world No. 26 in the WTA doubles rankings .
She also achieved her career-high singles ranking of No. 122 in January 2018.
Kato has won five doubles titles on the WTA Tour and two WTA Challenger doubles titles. In addition, she has won four singles and 13 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit .[ 2]
Playing for Japan Fed Cup team , Kato has a win–loss record of 6–1 (5–1 in doubles), as of June 2024.[ 3]
Career
2023 : Mixed doubles champion, back to top 30, new career high and Elite Trophy
Kato won her major title in the mixed doubles at the 2023 French Open , together with her German partner Tim Pütz .
She reached a new career-high ranking of No. 27 on 23 October 2023, the week she was selected to participate in the 2023 WTA Elite Trophy with Aldila Sutjiadi .
French Open controversy
At the 2023 French Open , she and her partner Aldila Sutjiadi were defaulted in the women's doubles , after she accidentally hit a ball girl with a ball. She had to forfeit her points and prize money, although she made clear she would appeal the supervisor's decision.[ 4] [ 5] Kato received ample support from fellow players, including from the Professional Tennis Players Association , who deemed the disqualification unfair.[ 6] Kato and Sutjiadi's opponents, Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marie Bouzková , were criticized for pushing the supervisor to disqualify Kato and laughing after the pair were disqualified, but did not apologize to Kato.[ 7]
2024-2025: Thailand title, Miami final
Kato and Sutjiadi won the doubles title at the 2024 Thailand Open , defeating Guo Hanyu and Jiang Xinyu in the final.[ 8]
In March 2025, partnering with new partner Cristina Bucșa , Kato reached the doubles final of the WTA 1000 Miami Open with an upset over the top seeds and world No. 1 and No. 2 players Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend .[ 9] They lost the championship match to Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider .[ 10]
Personal life and background
Kato has one brother named Yuki. She started playing tennis at the age of eight. She has stated that her tennis idols growing up were Justine Henin and Roger Federer . Her favorite surface to play on is hardcourt, but her favorite tournament is Wimbledon .[ 11]
Key
W
F
SF
QF
#R
RR
Q#
DNQ
A
NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records and career statistics.
Doubles
^ Kato was disqualified from the 2023 French Open, after accidentally hitting a ball girl when returning a ball to her.
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam tournament finals
Mixed doubles: 1 (title)
Other significant finals
WTA Elite Trophy
Doubles: 1 (runner-up)
WTA 1000 tournaments
Doubles: 1 (runner-up)
WTA Tour finals
Singles: 1 (runner-up)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–1)
Clay (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Doubles: 16 (5 titles, 11 runner-ups)
Legend
WTA 1000 (0–1)
WTA 500 (1–1)
WTA Elite Trophy (0–1)
WTA 250 (4–8)
Finals by surface
Hard (5–9)
Clay (0–1)
Carpet (0–0)
Grass (0–1)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score
Loss
0–1
Feb 2016
Taipei Open , Taiwan
International
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Chan Hao-ching Chan Yung-jan
4–6, 3–6
Win
1–1
Apr 2016
Katowice Open , Poland
International
Hard (i)
Eri Hozumi
Valentyna Ivakhnenko Marina Melnikova
3–6, 7–5, [10–8]
Loss
1–2
Jan 2018
Auckland Open , New Zealand
International
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Sara Errani Bibiane Schoofs
5–7, 1–6
Loss
1–3
Sep 2018
Japan Women's Open , Japan
International
Hard
Makoto Ninomiya
Eri Hozumi Zhang Shuai
2–6, 4–6
Win
2–3
Sep 2018
Pan Pacific Open , Japan
Premier[ b]
Hard (i)
Makoto Ninomiya
Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková Barbora Strýcová
6–4, 6–4
Loss
2–4
Oct 2019
Tianjin Open , China
International
Hard
Nao Hibino
Shuko Aoyama Ena Shibahara
3–6, 5–7
Loss
2–5
Mar 2020
Monterrey Open , Mexico
International
Hard
Wang Yafan
Kateryna Bondarenko Sharon Fichman
6–4, 3–6, [7–10]
Loss
2–6
Jul 2022
Hamburg European Open , Germany
WTA 250
Clay
Aldila Sutjiadi
Sophie Chang Angela Kulikov
3–6, 6–4, [6–10]
Loss
2–7
Oct 2022
Jasmin Open , Tunisia
WTA 250
Hard
Angela Kulikov
Kristina Mladenovic Kateřina Siniaková
2–6, 0–6
Win
3–7
Jan 2023
Auckland Classic, New Zealand
WTA 250
Hard
Aldila Sutjiadi
Leylah Fernandez Bethanie Mattek-Sands
1–6, 7–5, [10–4]
Win
4–7
Aug 2023
Tennis in Cleveland , United States
WTA 250
Hard
Aldila Sutjiadi
Nicole Melichar-Martinez Ellen Perez
6–4, 6–7(4–7) , [10–8]
Loss
4–8
Oct 2023
WTA Elite Trophy , China
Elite
Hard
Aldila Sutjiadi
Beatriz Haddad Maia Veronika Kudermetova
3–6, 3–6
Win
5–8
Feb 2024
Hua Hin Championships , Thailand
WTA 250
Hard
Aldila Sutjiadi
Guo Hanyu Jiang Xinyu
6–4, 1–6, [10–7]
Loss
5–9
Jun 2024
Birmingham Classic , United Kingdom
WTA 250
Grass
Zhang Shuai
Hsieh Su-wei Elise Mertens
1–6, 3–6
Loss
5–10
Sep 2024
Seoul , South Korea
WTA 500
Hard
Zhang Shuai
Nicole Melichar-Martinez Liudmila Samsonova
1–6, 0–6
Loss
5–11
Mar 2025
Miami Open , United States
WTA 1000
Hard
Cristina Bucșa
Mirra Andreeva Diana Shnaider
3–6, 7–6(7–5) , [2–10]
WTA Challenger finals
Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
ITF Circuit finals
Singles: 8 (4 titles, 4 runner–ups)
Legend
$60,000 tournaments (1–0)
$25,000 tournaments (3–3)
$10,000 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (2–3)
Clay (1–0)
Grass (1–1)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Opponent
Score
Loss
0–1
Aug 2013
ITF Fort Worth, United States
10,000
Hard
Lauren Embree
6–3, 1–6, 1–3 ret.
Win
1–1
May 2015
ITF Karuizawa, Japan
25,000
Grass
Makoto Ninomiya
7–6(7–5) , 5–7, 6–1
Loss
1–2
May 2015
ITF Balikpapan, Indonesia
25,000
Hard
Lu Jiajing
4–6, 4–6
Win
2–2
Jul 2015
ITF Bangkok, Thailand
25,000
Hard
Nigina Abduraimova
7–5, 6–2
Loss
2–3
Oct 2015
ITF Hamamatsu, Japan
25,000
Grass
Shuko Aoyama
2–6, 1–6
Win
3–3
Mar 2016
Clay Court International , Australia
25,000
Clay
Anna Bondár
6–4, 7–6(7–3)
Loss
3–4
Nov 2022
Yokohama Challenger , Japan
25,000
Hard
Han Na-lae
5–7, 0–6
Win
4–4
Dec 2022
Indoor Championships , Japan
60,000
Hard (i)
Lily Miyazaki
6–4, 2–6, 6–2
Doubles: 26 (13 titles, 13 runner–ups)
Legend
$100,000 tournaments (1–2)
$75/80,000 tournaments (2–0)
$50/60,000 tournaments (0–3)
$25,000 tournaments (5–1)
$10/15,000 tournaments (5–9)
Finals by surface
Hard (7–6)
Clay (2–6)
Grass (2–0)
Carpet (2–1)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score
Win
1–0
Sep 2011
ITF Kyoto, Japan
10,000
Carpet (i)
Riko Sawayanagi
Kazusa Ito Tomoko Taira
6–4, 7–6(7–5)
Loss
1–1
Sep 2012
ITF Kyoto, Japan
10,000
Carpet (i)
Misaki Mori
Nao Hibino Emi Mutaguchi
4–6, 3–6
Win
2–1
Oct 2012
ITF Makinohara, Japan
25,000
Grass
Eri Hozumi
Monique Adamczak Caroline Garcia
7–6(8–6) , 6–3
Loss
2–2
Jan 2013
ITF Hong Kong, China SAR
10,000
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Tian Ran Tang Haochen
2–6, 1–6
Loss
2–3
Jan 2013
ITF Hong Kong, China SAR
10,000
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Xin Wen Li Yihong
6–4, 1–6, [10–12]
Win
3–3
Sep 2013
ITF Kyoto, Japan
10,000
Carpet (i)
Hiroko Kuwata
Mana Ayukawa Emi Mutaguchi
6–4, 6–2
Loss
3–4
Sep 2013
ITF Cairns, Australia
15,000
Hard
Yurina Koshino
Isabella Holland Sally Peers
6–7(2–7) , 6–4, [7–10]
Loss
3–5
Feb 2014
ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand
10,000
Hard
Yuuki Tanaka
Nungnadda Wannasuk Varunya Wongteanchai
2–6, 2–6
Loss
3–6
Apr 2014
ITF Melbourne, Australia
15,000
Clay
Yuuki Tanaka
Jessica Moore Aleksandrina Naydenova
5–7, 7–6(7–5) , [7–10]
Win
4–6
Jul 2014
ITF Bangkok, Thailand
10,000
Hard
Akiko Omae
Kamonwan Buayam Nungnadda Wannasuk
6–0, 6–0
Loss
4–7
Aug 2014
ITF Wuhan , China
50,000
Hard
Makoto Ninomiya
Han Xinyun Zhang Kailin
4–6, 2–6
Win
5–7
Apr 2015
ITF Bangkok, Thailand
15,000
Clay
Nao Hibino
Miyabi Inoue Akiko Omae
6–4, 6–2
Win
6–7
May 2015
ITF Karuizawa, Japan
25,000
Grass
Rika Fujiwara
Mana Ayukawa Makoto Ninomiya
6–2, 6–0
Win
7–7
Jun 2015
ITF Kashiwa, Japan
25,000
Hard
Akiko Omae
Mana Ayukawa Makoto Ninomiya
6–2, 5–7, [10–8]
Win
8–7
Jun 2015
ITF Incheon, South Korea
25,000
Hard
Kotomi Takahata
Choi Ji-hee Kim Na-ri
4–6, 6–3, [10–7]
Loss
8–8
Mar 2016
Clay Court International , Australia
25,000
Clay
Eri Hozumi
Ashleigh Barty Arina Rodionova
7–5, 3–6, [7–10]
Win
9–8
May 2016
Kangaroo Cup Gifu , Japan
75,000+H
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Hiroko Kuwata Ayaka Okuno
6–1, 6–2
Win
10–8
May 2017
Kangaroo Cup Gifu, Japan (2)
80,000
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Katy Dunne Julia Glushko
6–4, 6–2
Win
11–8
May 2017
ITF Rome, Italy
25,000
Clay
Eri Hozumi
Ekaterine Gorgodze Melanie Stokke
6–1, 6–4
Loss
11–9
Oct 2017
Suzhou Ladies Open , China
60,000
Hard
Eri Hozumi
Jacqueline Cako Nina Stojanović
6–2, 5–7, [2–10]
Loss
11–10
Mar 2018
Clay Court International, Australia
60,000
Clay
Makoto Ninomiya
Priscilla Hon Dalila Jakupović
4–6, 6–4, [7–10]
Win
12–10
Aug 2019
Vancouver Open , Canada
100,000
Hard
Nao Hibino
Naomi Broady Erin Routliffe
6–2, 6–2
Loss
12–11
Jan 2021
ITF Antalya, Turkey
15,000
Clay
Haine Ogata
Victoria Bosio Gabriela Cé
4–6, 3–6
Loss
12–12
May 2021
ITF Charleston Pro , US
100,000
Clay
Eri Hozumi
Caty McNally Storm Sanders
5–7, 6–4, [6–10]
Loss
12–13
May 2021
Bonita Springs Championship , US
100,000
Clay
Eri Hozumi
Erin Routliffe Aldila Sutjiadi
3–6, 6–4, [6–10]
Win
13–13
Feb 2022
ITF Monastir, Tunisia
15,000
Hard
Kisa Yoshioka
Kristina Dmitruk Inès Ibbou
6–4, 7–5
Junior Grand Slam tournament finals
Girls' doubles: 1 (runner–up)
Notes
References
External links