Sakura Yokoi: the Japanese doubles champion climbing the rankings
Sakura Yokoi is a Japanese table tennis player born in Gifu in 2004, a right-handed shakehand drive attacker. She won doubles gold at the 2024 Asian Championships with Satsuki Odo, took several WTT doubles titles with her and reached the singles final of Contender Panagyurishte in September 2026.
In this article
Sakura Yokoi is one of the young Japanese players who has grown most on the WTT circuit in recent years. She became known for her doubles partnership with Satsuki Odo and in 2026 she also delivered in singles, with semi-finals and a final. This page covers Sakura Yokoi's career, titles and playing style.
Who is Sakura Yokoi
Sakura Yokoi was born on 23 April 2004 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. She is right-handed and plays the shakehand grip in an attacking, drive-based style. In 2021 she won the Interhigh, Japan's school championships, in singles, doubles and team events.
Sakura Yokoi's titles
| Competition | Results |
|---|---|
| Asian Championships | Doubles gold in 2024, with Satsuki Odo |
| WTT Finals | Doubles silver in Fukuoka 2024 |
| WTT doubles | Star Contender Doha 2025, Star Contender Muscat 2025, Star Contender Doha 2026 and Contender Skopje 2026, all with Odo |
| WTT singles | Finalist at Contender Panagyurishte 2026 |
| Ranking | October 2026: No. 21 in singles and No. 10 in doubles |
The partnership with Satsuki Odo
Odo and Yokoi became one of the most consistent pairs on tour. In 2024 they won doubles gold at the Asian Championships and finished runners-up at the WTT Finals in Fukuoka. In January 2025 they won Star Contender Doha, beating He Zhuojia and Zong Geman 3-0 in the final, and later took Contender Muscat and Star Contender Muscat. In 2026 they won Star Contender Doha and, in June, Contender Skopje; at Star Contender Ljubljana they lost the final to Miwa Harimoto and Hina Hayata.
2026 in singles
In singles, Yokoi reached the semi-finals of the Skopje and Zagreb Contenders in June 2026, losing to Honoka Hashimoto and Zhu Yuling. In September she reached the final of WTT Contender Panagyurishte after beating Miyu Nagasaki in the semi-finals, and lost 4-1 to Hitomi Sato. In October 2026 she is world No. 21 in singles. See the table tennis world ranking.
Playing style
- Drive attacker with the shakehand grip and a high tempo. See playing styles.
- Very effective in doubles, with several WTT titles alongside Satsuki Odo.
- Strong school background: three Interhigh titles in 2021 before reaching the WTT.
- Still growing in singles, with two Contender semi-finals and one final in 2026.
Recent results on the tour
| Year | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | 9 |
| Total | 16 | 9 |
| L | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-13 | Women's singles Final | Sato Hitomi JPN vs Yokoi Sakura JPN 4-1 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 |
| W | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-12 | Women's singles Semifinals | Yokoi Sakura JPN vs Nagasaki Miyu JPN 3-1 14-12, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7 |
| L | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-12 | Women's doubles Semifinals | Yokoi Sakura / Aoki Sachi JPN vs Hirano Miu / Kihara Miyuu JPN 2-3 5-11, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 1-11 |
| W | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-12 | Women's singles Quarterfinals | Hana Arapovic CRO vs Yokoi Sakura JPN 2-3 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 7-11, 3-11 |
| W | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-11 | Women's doubles Quarterfinals | Yokoi Sakura / Aoki Sachi JPN vs Maria Yovkova / Kalina Hristova BUL 3-0 11-7, 11-2, 11-1 |
| W | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-11 | Women's singles Round of 16 | Camille Lutz FRA vs Yokoi Sakura JPN 2-3 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 4-11 |
| W | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-10 | Women's singles Round of 32 | Gaia Monfardini ITA vs Yokoi Sakura JPN 0-3 7-11, 7-11, 9-11 |
| W | WTT Contender Panagyurishte 2026 2026-09-10 | Women's doubles Round of 16 | Yokoi Sakura / Aoki Sachi JPN vs Arantxa Cossio / Karoline Mischek MEX/AUT 3-1 10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 |
Source: WTT official results. Updated October 31, 2026. worldtabletennis.com
Frequently asked questions
Who is Sakura Yokoi?
She is a Japanese player born in Gifu in 2004, right-handed with a shakehand grip, known for her doubles titles with Satsuki Odo.
Is Sakura Yokoi left-handed?
No. She is right-handed and plays the shakehand grip.
Has Sakura Yokoi won WTT titles?
Yes, in doubles and always with Satsuki Odo: Star Contender Doha and Muscat in 2025, Star Contender Doha and Contender Skopje in 2026, among others.
What is Sakura Yokoi's current ranking?
In October 2026 she is world No. 21 in singles and No. 10 in doubles.