Japanese wheelchair tennis player Tokito Oda achieves dream of inspiring children like his own idol Shingo Kunieda with gold at the Paralympic Games

Wheelchair tennis player Tokito Oda has become what he dreamed of: “a hero for children fighting illness,” just like his own childhood idol, the legendary athlete Shingo Kunieda.

Oda, 18, became the youngest ever Paralympic champion in men’s wheelchair tennis on Saturday, winning the gold medal in the men’s singles event at the Paris Olympics.

The final saw an unexpected development early on, when British rival Alfie Hewett, 26, took a medical timeout. Oda won the first set against a weak Hewett, but lost the second set after a heated battle. Oda then overcame Hewett’s match point to secure a comeback victory in the final set.

Originally from Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, Oda was diagnosed with bone cancer when he was 9 years old in the third grade of elementary school. Part of his left thigh bone was removed and he was unable to walk on his own.

During his time in the hospital, Oda repeatedly watched a video of Kunieda winning the wheelchair tennis final at the 2012 Paralympics in London. Oda admired Kunieda’s sharp shots with his deft chairwork and vowed, “I want to be the best in the world, too.”

He started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 10, under the guidance of Mitsuteru Moroishi, the 57-year-old bronze medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Moroishi recalled that Oda’s passion to become a good player was evident.

“He was a hard worker who hated to lose,” Moroishi said. “He gets frustrated when there’s something he can’t do and works on it for the next practice.”

Moroishi believed that Oda would become a world-class athlete and taught him how to behave in public, including how to greet people.

As a junior high school student, Oda traveled abroad as a next-generation athlete designated by his sports organization. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, which caused tournaments to be canceled one by one, Oda focused on strengthening his serve and other basic skills.

He devised his own style of aggressive attacking from the baseline, going against the ‘hitting from behind’ philosophy that is taken for granted in wheelchair tennis.

Oda missed the Tokyo Paralympics but steadily rose in the world rankings, announcing in April 2022 that he would turn pro at the age of 15.

Oda received a phone call from Kunieda in January 2023, who announced his retirement and asked Oda to “lead the wheelchair tennis world from now on.” In June of that year, Oda won the French Open, becoming the youngest player to win all four major titles and reach the world No. 1 ranking at the age of 17 years and 1 month.

Before his first Paralympic Games, Oda said: “Fewer people watch the Paralympic Games compared to the Olympic Games. I got sick to change that.”

In the final, he endured a heated match that lasted more than 2½ hours, fulfilling his primary school dream of becoming the ‘world’s best wheelchair tennis player’.

‘Stay aggressive’

Youth players who admired Oda supported him, and so did his friends.

Shunpei Hashimoto, a second-year high school student from Matsuyama, who is confined to a wheelchair due to a congenital defect, began playing tennis at age 5. Hashimoto is a big fan of Oda and goes to his matches to cheer him on.

“I want Oda to win the gold medal with his typical aggressive style, and for him to keep going even if he makes a mistake,” the 13-year-old said before the final.

At an event in Gifu this past summer, Hashimoto learned firsthand from Oda how to improve his explosive power through chairwork. Hashimoto said he has kept Oda’s aggressive style in mind ever since.

“I will win the national junior championships first and then I will compete in the Paralympic Games,” Hashimoto said, following in the footsteps of Oda, who was “friendly and nice” to him.

Moroishi said before the final: “Winning the gold medal will naturally fulfill his dream of ‘bringing excitement to the Paralympics’. I want him to enjoy the big stage.”

A public viewing was held at the Ichinomiya City Office, with approximately 200 people attending.

A high school student who was in Oda’s class in elementary and middle school said before the finals, “I want him to come back to Ichinomiya with a gold medal.”