Contained in the Rei Sakamoto Reivolution

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Contained in the Rei Sakamoto Reivolution

ATPTour.com speaks to Sakamoto and coach Federico Ricci

January 19, 2026

On the 2025 Australian Open, Rei Sakamoto received simply two video games within the first spherical of qualifying towards Tristan Boyer. It was not that the second had gotten to him, however that he had taken a giant step up in competitors one yr on from claiming the boys’ singles title at Melbourne Park.

However one yr on, Sakamoto is again and making it clear he isn’t the identical participant. The budding Japanese star will compete in a significant primary draw for the primary time, and there’s a cause for it.

“How skilled I’m general,” Sakamoto informed ATPTour.com, earlier than citing examples. “Psychological stability and physicality.”

Sakamoto’s coach, ATP Coach member Federico Ricci, recalled a key second final March, when the 19-year-old was enjoying an ATP Challenger occasion in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic. That they had some lengthy discussions about their relationship, what Sakamoto needed from Ricci, what he was and wasn’t prepared to take and the non-negotiables from the coach.

“That is been a bit of little bit of a turning level from that time on,” Ricci informed ATPTour.com. “After that he did effectively and he nonetheless hasn’t discovered his consistency all year long. It is one thing that perhaps comes from the juniors the place they solely rely six outcomes they usually additionally rely doubles. So then, after all, once you go on Tour, it is far more in depth and complicated. However I might say the view, the imaginative and prescient, is a little more aligned to what it needs to be going ahead on the professional tour.”

The outcomes have been rapid. In his subsequent event, Sakamoto certified for an ATP Masters 1000 occasion for the primary time in Miami. On the time, he was No. 330 within the PIF ATP Rankings.

Sakamoto later received his second Challenger title in Cary, North Carolina and his third trophy at that degree in Yokohama, Japan, reaching his profession excessive of World No. 159.

“I feel he has matured fairly a bit. As an individual, to start with, he nonetheless has many, many steps to go on that facet, however he has matured a bit of bit and he has matured additionally as a tennis participant in his understanding of the sport,” Ricci stated. “I feel, the primary three, 4 months of 2025 have been crucial in his maturity and understanding of the sport, how he understood how one can be on the courtroom and the way tennis is performed and what’s it about.”

Off the courtroom, Sakamoto remains to be enjoyable and filled with persona, one thing he showcases via his YouTube channel, known as the REIVOLUTION channel.

“I prefer it. I actually like doing it,” Sakamoto stated. “It’s platform to reveal my persona a bit of bit greater than I can do on courtroom. I prefer it.”

An instance is that Sakamoto typically exhibits himself cooking, with loads of comedy concerned. The Japanese participant has a dry sense of humour, placing that on full show when discussing how a lot he enjoys cooking.

“I like cooking, however I hate doing the dishes,” Sakamoto stated. “I moved into a brand new house on the finish of final yr and I made certain I went with one with a dishwasher.”

However whereas the Rei-volution is going down on the Web, the evolution of his recreation is evident on the courtroom.

“He maybe had a really simplistic means of tennis, maybe very junior with ball velocity just like the participant he’s,” Ricci stated. “So for him, all the things was one, two, max three, and slap as exhausting as you’ll be able to. After I after all tried to elucidate to him tennis from a unique dimension, he took it as I needed to make him a pusher.

“So after all, then we needed to discover the proper understanding of each terminology — after all there are language and cultural variations — however terminology and idea of tennis and making him perceive a bit of bit how tennis is admittedly performed and danger and rewards and all that facet. So part of it was maturity, a part of it was merely explaining tennis.”

Again in Melbourne, the place he received simply two video games in qualifying a yr in the past, Sakamoto earned his means into the principle draw with out shedding serve or a set.

“It’s particular,” Sakamoto stated. “I’ve good reminiscences from the juniors and I feel the floor fits me and the hospitality and all the things, I really feel that’s superb right here, so I prefer it.”

That is nonetheless the start of the 19-year-old’s journey. It doesn’t matter what occurs within the first spherical towards fellow #NextGenATP star Rafael Jodar and thru the remainder of the occasion, that is simply one other alternative to develop.

“There have been vital steps ahead,” Ricci stated. “There’s nonetheless many, many to go.”