Ayako Sakuramoto
CountryJapan
Birth dateAugust 19, 1995 (age 31)
Birth placeFukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Height1.66 m
HandednessLeft
EventWomen's doubles
Highest ranking9 (with Yukiko Takahata, 5 February 2019)
Current ranking80
Date of current rankingwith Sayaka Hirota, 26 May 2026
Bwfbadminton id83211

Ayako Sakuramoto (櫻本 絢子, Sakuramoto Ayako, born August 19, 1995) is a Japanese badminton player.[1] She currently plays for Gifu Bluvic, having previously spent over a decade as a member of the Yonex team.[2] She specializes in women's doubles and has achieved success in numerous tournaments. These include the Asian Junior Championships, BWF World Tour, BWF Grand Prix, and BWF International Challenge/Series. Sakuramoto frequently partners with Yukiko Takahata and Rena Miyaura, with whom she has won multiple titles and medals.

Career

Sakuramoto who educated at the Kyushu International University High School, won the girls' doubles bronze medal at the 2011 Asian Junior Badminton Championships.[3] She also won 2012 gold and 2013 bronze in the mixed team event.[4][5] In 2017, she became the women's doubles runner-up at the Osaka International tournament partnered with Yukiko Takahata.[6] She won her first senior international title at the Spanish International tournament with Takahata.[7]

2021–2022

In 2021, Sakuramoto formed a partnership with Mayu Matsumoto, reaching the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open.[8] In April 2022, partnering with Hinata Suzuki, she was the runner-up at the Mexican International, losing a three-game final to compatriots Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato.[9] Later that year, she formed a new partnership with Rena Miyaura. The pair won the Canada Open in September, defeating Hirokami and Kato in straight games.[10] In October, they reached the final of the Indonesia Masters Super 100, finishing as runners-up to Hirokami and Kato.[11]

2023

Continuing her partnership with Miyaura, Sakuramoto helped Japan reach the quarter-finals of the Asia Mixed Team Championships. On the World Tour, the duo claimed two Super 300 titles: the Swiss Open in March, following a walkover in the final against Yuki Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, and the Orléans Masters in April by defeating Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning.[12][13] The pair also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, China Open, and Japan Masters.

2024

Sakuramoto and Miyaura advanced to the semi-finals of the All England Open, after defeating the Malaysian pair of Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan in the quarter-finals.[14] In team events, Sakuramoto helped the Japanese women's squad win bronze medals at both the Asia Team Championships in February and the Uber Cup in April. Towards the end of the year, she formed a new partnership with Arisa Igarashi, reaching the second round at both the Japan Masters and the China Masters.

2025

Sakuramoto and Igarashi won the India Open in January, defeating Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong after having played together for four and a half months.[15] In February, she contributed to Japan's bronze medal at the Asia Mixed Team Championships in Qingdao.[16] Later that year, Sakuramoto partnered with Mei Sudo, reaching the semi-finals at the Thailand International Series and the Thailand International Challenge in August.[17][18]

2026

Sakuramoto began competing with Sayaka Hirota, and the pair reached the quarter-finals of the All England Open in March.[19] On 1 April, Sakuramoto transferred to the Gifu Bluvic badminton team, concluding a 12-year tenure with Yonex. She cited the opportunity to partner with Hirota as her primary motivation for the move.[2] Later in the year, the duo advanced to the final of the Super 500 Malaysia Masters, where they finished as runners-up to Chen Fanshutian and Luo Xumin.[20]

Achievements

Asian Junior Championships

Girls' doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResultRef
2011Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium,
Lucknow, India		Ayano ToriiSuci Rizky Andini
Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah		15–21, 15–21Bronze[21]

BWF World Tour (12 titles, 3 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[22] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[23]

Women's doubles

YearTournamentLevelPartnerOpponentScoreResultRef
2018Swiss OpenSuper 300Yukiko TakahataGabriela Stoeva
Stefani Stoeva		19–21, 21–15, 21–18Winner[24]
2018New Zealand OpenSuper 300Yukiko TakahataCao Tongwei
Zheng Yu		21–9, 21–19Winner[25]
2018Australian OpenSuper 300Yukiko TakahataBaek Ha-na
Lee Yu-lim		23–21, 21–18Winner[26]
2018Canada OpenSuper 100Yukiko TakahataIsabel Herttrich
Carla Nelte		21–13, 21–15Winner[27]
2018Singapore OpenSuper 500Yukiko TakahataNami Matsuyama
Chiharu Shida		16–21, 24–22, 21–13Winner[28]
2018Akita MastersSuper 100Yukiko TakahataNami Matsuyama
Chiharu Shida		23–21, 21–11Winner[29]
2018Spain MastersSuper 300Yukiko TakahataMayu Matsumoto
Wakana Nagahara		17–21, 13–21Runner-up[30]
2018Indonesia MastersSuper 100Yukiko TakahataNami Matsuyama
Chiharu Shida		11–21, 21–19, 22–20Winner[31]
2019Akita MastersSuper 100Yukiko TakahataNita Violina Marwah
Putri Syaikah		21–17, 14–21, 21–15Winner[32]
2022Canada OpenSuper 100Rena MiyauraRui Hirokami
Yuna Kato		21–13, 21–8Winner[10][33]
2022Indonesia MastersSuper 100Rena MiyauraRui Hirokami
Yuna Kato		21–23, 18–21Runner-up[11]
2023Swiss OpenSuper 300Rena MiyauraYuki Fukushima
Sayaka Hirota		WalkoverWinner[12]
2023Orléans MastersSuper 300Rena MiyauraLiu Shengshu
Tan Ning		21–19, 16–21, 21–12Winner[13]
2025India OpenSuper 750Arisa IgarashiKim Hye-jeong
Kong Hee-yong		21–15, 21–13Winner[15]
2026Malaysia MastersSuper 500Sayaka HirotaChen Fanshutian
Luo Xumin		16–21, 23–25Runner-up[20]

BWF Grand Prix (1 runner-up)

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Women's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResultRef
2017New Zealand OpenYukiko TakahataVivian Hoo
Woon Khe Wei		21–18, 16–21, 19–21Runner-up[34]
BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (1 title, 3 runners-up)

Women's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResultRef
2017Osaka InternationalYukiko TakahataKim So-yeong
Yoo Hae-won		21–16, 17–21, 19–21Runner-up[35]
2017Spanish InternationalYukiko TakahataMisato Aratama
Akane Watanabe		21–10, 21–15Winner[36]
2018Osaka InternationalYukiko TakahataNaoko Fukuman
Kurumi Yonao		21–17, 19–21, 16–21Runner-up[37]
2022Mexican InternationalHinata SuzukiRui Hirokami
Yuna Kato		21–15, 19–21, 17–21Runner-up[9]
BWF International Challenge tournament

References

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  2. ^ "[Team & Player Information] Ayako Sakuramoto and Suzu Nakahara join Gifu Bluvic. Sakuramoto says, "I'm determined to be on the same team as Hirota-san."" (in Japanese). Badminton Spirit. 1 April 2026. Archived 2 April 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  3. ^ "China bags 5-gold again while Japan defends 1-bronze only" (in Japanese). BadPaL. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Asian Juniors 2012 Team Final – Japan wins first team title". Badzine.net. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. ^ "China regains No.1 in Asia, recovers from last year's loss to Japan" (in Japanese). BadPaL. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  6. ^ "ヨネックス大阪インターナショナルチャレンジ2017" (in Japanese). Yonex. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. ^ "バドミントンスペインインターナショナル2017" (in Japanese). Nippon Badminton Association. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
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  9. ^ "The II Mexican International Challenge has concluded" (in Spanish). Heraldo de México. 17 April 2022. Archived 13 September 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  10. ^ Lawrence, Bruno (3 October 2022). "Michelle Li wins at home in Women’s Individual – OA Sport". Wire Service Canada. Archived 14 May 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
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