Meet Wakana Sonobe, the fearless 17-year-old making an early impact on tour

A day after she won her first-career main-draw victory against China’s Yuan Yue, Japanese teenager Wakana Sonobe still could not believe it. 

Sonobe is making the most of the wild card she’s been awarded for the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open qualifying rounds in Abu Dhabi. She posted two victories to secure a spot in a tour-level main draw for the first time in her young career, before upsetting World No.55 Yuan on Monday in the opening round. 

Consider this your introduction to a name you might be hearing a lot more of -- sooner than you think. Here’s the scoop on the 17-year-old lefty shaking things up:

She hasn’t lost a singles match in 2025

Between her run to the girls’ singles title at the Australian Open last month and her march to the second round in Abu Dhabi this week -- as a qualifier -- Sonobe has a perfect 9-0 record in singles this season across the junior and professional levels. 

She has won her last 16 consecutive sets and is now 3-1 against Top 100 players.

Sonobe said she’s “super happy” with her win over Yuan and that she didn’t think too much about her chances in Abu Dhabi, given her limited experience at this level. 

“I still can’t believe it,” she told wtatennis.com on Tuesday in the UAE capital. “I had never played a player ranked that high before, she’s a very good player, so I’m so happy.”

Her coach, Ryuji Hirooka, believes his protégé has the weapons to compete against high-ranked opponents. 

“I’m a bit surprised, but given how she was playing the last couple of weeks; I was kind of expecting if she can play at that level then she can damage some good players as well,” he said. 

She is following in the footsteps of Nishikori

Sonobe was born in Saitama, Japan, and picked up the sport at 4 years old because her brother Ren -- who is four years her senior -- used to play tennis. 

Three years ago, she was awarded a scholarship to move to the United States and train at the IMG Academy in Florida, courtesy of the Morita Tennis Fund -- the same organization that sent ATP star Kei Nishikori there some two decades ago. 

More recently, the likes of Sayaka Ishii and Ena Koike -- who both made it to the Top 10 as juniors -- were given the same opportunity by the fund and Sonobe followed suit. 

“I was nervous and worried about it because I couldn’t speak any English, so I was very nervous before going,” Sonobe said. 

“At the beginning I was very shy and couldn’t speak English, and I just talked to my coach and practiced. But now I’ve made friends and am more comfortable.”

At the academy, Sonobe has had the opportunity to hit with Nishikori -- a former Top 5 player and Grand Slam finalist -- on multiple occasions, which has inspired her to reach for similar heights in the world of professional tennis.

“He’s a star in Japan,” Sonobe said. “It made me want to play in the Grand Slams. For tennis, he taught me some skills, like with footwork, and he also spoke to me about my mind, the mental side of the game.” 

Admiring the game’s best

Sonobe is a big fan of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who recently announced she’ll be coming back from maternity leave later this month. 

“Hopefully I can play her one day,” Sonobe said.

Sonobe has an aggressive baseline game, which she says she developed from a young age. 

“When I was young, I was hitting hard and my coach never told me, ‘Don’t miss, just play,’” she said. “So I feel like I can play freely from the baseline.” 

Sonobe has been making the most of her time in Abu Dhabi and got the chance to warm up with 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Monday. 

“She hits the ball strong, it was a very good experience,” Sonobe said.

She also had kind words for compatriot Naomi Osaka, a four-time major winner and Asia’s first singles World No. 1 in tennis. 

“Of course she’s a great player,” Sonobe said, “and after she had a baby she played again, so I’m so proud of her.”

Her coach says she’s Top 10 material

Hirooka does not hesitate when asked about Sonobe’s potential.

“Top 10,” he said. 

“Personality-wise she’s very shy, she doesn’t talk much. But if I tell her to do something, she will do it 100 percent. She’s very coachable. So that’s a big thing. 

“She’s getting more professional. She gets nervous but she’s going to go for it anyway, and that’s what I like, she has the feeling, the fire, kind of like a champion’s heart to go for it. That’s what I really like about her.”

Sonobe, who started the week at No. 837, will more than halve her ranking, thanks to her early success in Abu Dhabi. 

She says her goal for the season is to win an ITF title, but given her form at the ongoing WTA 500, she might perhaps shift her focus to loftier targets. 

“The original plan for the year was to play just the junior Grand Slams and the rest would be pro tournaments,” Hirooka said. “I was thinking more of targeting W50, W75, those kind of tournaments. 

“The plan is still similar, but maybe we can challenge a little bit more, maybe some higher-level tournaments. She’s getting some offers with wild cards.”

She has already made history

By winning the Australian Open, Sonobe became the tournament’s first Japanese girls’ singles champion.

She wasn’t aware of the stat beforehand and says she was both surprised and “super happy” to etch her name in the history books after coming close but stumbling in the final hurdle at the US Open a few months earlier.

“In the US Open final, I was very nervous, and I was shaking a little before the match and I couldn’t play my game,” she said. “But in the Australian Open final I was very relaxed, focused, and I played my game.”

School and hobbies

Sonobe is pursuing distance learning through her high school in Japan and has one year left. She says Japanese and science are her favorite subjects. 

She works on her English by watching YouTube videos and doesn’t expend too much energy outside of tennis. 

“I usually just watch Netflix, and I like to sleep,” she said with a laugh.

She also listens to J-pop and enjoys sushi -- mostly salmon nigiri, a classic.

Whether it’s on court or off, Sonobe knows what she likes -- and so far, it’s working.