Naoko Sato
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| Bio | She is a former female professional tennis player from Chiyoda Ward,Tokyo. She is the former president of the Japan Professional Tennis Association. She is a specially appointed professor at Tokyo International University and coach of the tennis club. She is a member of the BS Asahi Program Council, an auditor of the Japan Sports Association, a director of the Japan Sports Arbitration Organization, and a chairman of the Japan Tennis Foundation. In March 2011, she completed the master's course at Waseda University Graduate School of Sport Sciences. She studies top sports business under Professor Takeo Hirata . Active mainly in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She performed well mainly at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals in singles at the January 1977 tournament and runner-up in women's doubles at the 1978 tournament. She became familiar with tennis while attending Nagatacho Elementary School (currently Kojimachi Elementary School in Chiyoda Ward), and won the All Japan Tennis Championships under 15 years old category at the age of 12 ( first year of Gakushuin Girls' Junior High School). All Japan Indoor Championship Singles Champion. From the age of 16, she began traveling abroad alone, and in 1973 she went to study at the University of Houston in the United States. Her junior records include 3rd place in junior singles at the 1973 French Open (lost to Mima Jausovec in the semi-finals), quarterfinals in junior singles at Wimbledon (lost to Martina Navratilova), champion in junior singles at the Austrian Open and the Canadian Open. In March 1973, she was selected as a member of the Fed Cup held in South Africa, along with Kazuko Sawamatsu and Kimiyo Hatanaka, but she did not participate. From 1976 she represented Japan in the Women's Tennis Nationals/ Fed Cup , a position she held until 1980. 1977 Australian Open was held twice, in January at the beginning of the year and in December at the end of the year. Sato entered the top 8 of the women's singles at the tournament held in January at the beginning of the year. She lost to Karen Krantzcke (Australia) in the quarterfinals, where she lost 3-6, 6-4, 0-6. She did well in the December tournament, where she lost in the second round to Evonne Goolagong 6-4, 6-0. The 1978 Australian Open was held at the end of December, but Sato advanced to the final in women's doubles paired with Pam Whitecross (Australia). However, she lost in the final to Betsy Nagelsen (USA) and Renata Tomanova (Czechoslovakia) 5-7, 2-6. Sato's other four Grand Slam personal best results are French Open reaching the second round in 1981 and Wimbledon reaching the second round in 1976. She played at Wimbledon in singles, doubles or mixed doubles for 14 years, starting in 1973. She made her only U.S. Open appearance in 1981, losing in the first round. At the All Japan Tennis Championships, Sato won the women's doubles division four times in 1976,1984,1986 and 1988. At the All Japan Indoor Tennis Championships, she won four singles titles. At the Japan Open, she won the women's doubles twice in 1976 and 1978. Sato continued her competitive career for a long time, competing in tournaments until February 1991, when she lost to Rennae Stubbs (Australia) in the first qualifying round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament. In March 1993, she retired after participating in the All Japan Indoor Doubles (partner, Yone Kamio). After her retirement from playing, Sato worked as a talent and commentator. In April 2010, entered Waseda University Graduate School of Sport Sciences master's course one-year course. She belonged to Professor Takeo Hirata 's laboratory and carried out research activities. She graduated in March 2011. She graduated of the same laboratory include Masumi Kuwata and Akio Eguchi. In April 2011, it was announced that she was appointed as a special professor and coach of the tennis club in response to an invitation from Tokyo International University. She has also served as a director of the Japan Sports Arbitration Organization. In June 2011, she was appointed as the chairman of the Japan Professional Tennis Association. She became the first female president of the association since she founded it in 1972. She has been involved in the development of junior players, and recently, in order to give more chances to junior female professional players, she participated in the ITF (World Tennis Federation) $ 25,000 international tournament (Noto Wakura International Women's Open Tennis), which is one of the few in Japan are held. |
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