Wakana Nagahara

Jayce September 6, 2024 3 0

Character Introduction

Nagahara Wakana (Japanese:ながはらわかな, January 9, 1996) is a Japanese female badminton player and an active member of the Japan national badminton team (Team A). Her partnership with Mayu Matsumoto was ranked No. 1 in the world at the highest level, winning the 2018 World Badminton Championships by defeating compatriots Yuki Fukushima/Saika Hirota.She won back-to-back women’s doubles titles at the 2019 World Badminton Championships by defeating the team of Yuki Fukushima/Saika Hirota once again.

In July 2013, Nagahara and Kona, along with Asayo Matsumoto and Jorang Hioki, represented Japan at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, where Japan finished third in the team event, losing 0-3 to China in the first mixed team event.

In April 2014, Nagahara and Kona teamed up with Mayu Matsumoto to reach the women’s doubles final of the Rakugo Badminton International Series, ultimately defeating the tournament’s No. 4 seeded team of Pachongphan Bongchuwong/Samnisa Tichaworasinkun of Thailand 2-0 (21-17, 21-11) to win their first FIBA tournament first title.

In July 2016, Nagahara and Kona teamed up with Yogo Kobayashi and Mayu Matsumoto to compete in the U.S. Open Badminton Mixed Doubles and Women’s Doubles tournaments in Los Angeles, USA. In mixed doubles, the team won the title by defeating Robert Matsyak/Natysda Sierba of Poland 2-0 (21-16, 21-18). As for the women’s doubles, they fell to teammates Shiho Tanaka/Koharu Yonemoto in a three-set thriller, 1-2 (22-20, 15-21, 19-21), to finish as runners-up.

In July 2017, Nagahara and Kona played in the Canadian Badminton Grand Prix with Matsumoto Mayu, taking down teammates Hoshi Chiji/Shinoa Naryu of Japan 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 21-18) in the final to win their first Grand Prix title.

On August 5, 2018, at the 2018 World Badminton Championships, No. 1 seeds Matsumoto Asashoryu/Nagahara and Kona saved 2 match points in the deciding set to beat No. 2 seeds Fukushima Yuki/Hirota Saichika 2-1 (21-19, 19-21, 22-20), as the Japanese women’s doubles team regained the title after 41 years since the 1977 World Championships.

On August 25, 2019, Asashoryu Matsumoto/Wakona Nagahara defeated Yuki Fukushima/Saika Hirota 2-1 in the final of the 2019 Badminton World Championships in Basel, Switzerland, to repeat as women’s doubles champions.

In March 2021, Asashoryu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara played in the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championships and won the Super 1000 title by defeating teammates Yuki Fukushima/Saika Hirota 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) in the Women’s Doubles Final.

In July 2021, Matsumoto/Akuna Nagahara lost to South Korean pair Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong 1-2 (14-21, 21-14, 26-28) in the last eight.

World Ranking – Women’s Doubles 6, Week 31, 2024

Olympic Points – Women’s Doubles 7, 78822 points

Finals Ranking – Women’s Doubles 14, 40950 points

Equipment Used

ASTROX 100ZZ Antique Red; ASTROX 88S; AEROBITE; ASTROX 88S PRO; SHB65Z2MEX; ASTROX 88S Beige/Red; SHBCFZMEX; SHB65Z3LEX; 10349; SHB-66Z

Major Achievements

2024 Indonesia Open Badminton Women’s Doubles Quarterfinalists
2024 Uber Cup Women’s Team 3rd Place Member
2024 French Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finalist
2024 India Open Women’s Doubles Champion
2023 Kumamoto Badminton Masters Women’s Doubles Quarter-finalist
2023 France Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2023 Denmark Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2023 Arctic Badminton Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2023 Japan Open Women’s Doubles Final Four
2023 Korea Open Badminton Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2023 Canadian Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2023 Indonesia Badminton Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2023 Malaysia Badminton Masters Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2023 Sudirman Cup Mixed Team Championships Third Place Member
2023 Badminton Asia Championships Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2022 French Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2022 World Badminton Championships Women’s Doubles Bronze Medalist
2022 Malaysia Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2022 Thailand Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2021 World Badminton Championships Women’s Doubles Bronze Medalist
2020 Uber Cup Women’s Team Runner-up Member
2021 Sudirman Cup Mixed Team Runner-up Member
2021 All England Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Champion
2020 Denmark Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2020 Asian Badminton Team Championships Women’s Team Champion
2019 Badminton World Federation Year-end Finals Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2019 Hong Kong China Open Badminton Championships Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2019 China Fuzhou Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2019 France Badminton Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2019 Denmark Badminton Open Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2019 World Badminton Championships Women’s Doubles Champion
2019 Japan Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2019 Sudirman Cup Mixed Team Runner-up Member
2019 Badminton Asia Championships Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2019 Singapore Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Champion
2019 All England Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2019 German Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals
2019 Indonesia Badminton Masters Women’s Doubles quarter-finals
2019 Malaysia Badminton Masters Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals
2018 Badminton World Tour Finals Women’s Doubles Top Four
2018 China Fuzhou Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2018 French Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Champion
2018 China Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2018 Spain Badminton Masters Women’s Doubles Champion
2018 World Badminton Championships Women’s Doubles Champion
2018 Indonesia Badminton Open Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2018 All England Open Badminton Championships Women’s Doubles Quarter-finalist
2018 Nanjing Badminton World Championships Women’s Doubles Champion
2017 France Badminton Superseries Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals
2017 USA Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2017 USA Badminton Golden Grand Prix Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals
2017 Canadian Badminton Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Champion
2017 Canadian Badminton Grand Prix Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals
2017 Canadian Badminton Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Champion
2017 Chinese Taipei Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2017 Osaka Badminton International Challenge Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2016 Thailand Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2016 USA Badminton Golden Grand Prix Mixed Doubles Champion
2016 USA Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2014 Russia Badminton Grand Prix Women’s Doubles Runner-up
2014 Le Fish Badminton International Series Women’s Doubles Champion
2013 Asian Youth Badminton Championships Mixed Team Bronze Medal