Watanabe and Higashino End 13-Year Partnership! The Two Exchanged Handshakes and Apologies After the Match
Jayce
In their final match, Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino were defeated 9-21, 17-21 by Taipei’s Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang, thus ending their run in the mixed doubles quarterfinals at the 2024 Japan Badminton Open. The decision to end their partnership has become final.
In a televised interview, Yuta Watanabe expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am very happy to have been able to play badminton for so many years. The support from fans has given me great strength, and thanks to everyone’s support, I have achieved good results. Our careers will continue, and if we can continue to receive support, I would be very honored. I have created a lot of history and extended my career, and both of us believe we can become even stronger. The experience we gained from our matches will undoubtedly help us continue on our paths. I hope to reflect on this when our careers come to an end.”
东野有纱表示：“我真的不敢相信今天的比赛会这样结束。如果没有勇太，我不可能走到今天，所以我对他只有感激。我们在决赛中没有取得想要的结果，我感到非常失望。”
Yuta Watanabe, a talented player in recent years despite his height of only 165 cm, has stood out among the taller and more agile doubles players. He initially gained fame in men’s singles but switched to doubles due to a lack of attacking power. He and Arisa Higashino, who have been pairing since their middle school days, have been partners for over 13 years, winning bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Watanabe also partnered with veteran Endo Hiroyuki, forming a notable men’s doubles pair that once ranked in the world’s top five. However, this partnership ended with Endo’s retirement in 2021.
Watanabe and Higashino’s friendship has been very deep, with some Japanese media speculating they might become a couple. However, Watanabe surprised Higashino by announcing his marriage after this year’s Olympics.
渡边对东野表示感谢，“我们能坚持这么久，是因为团队合作非常出色。虽然竞技体育的痛苦让人难以承受，但我相信，相互支持是获得胜利喜悦的必要条件。”
After the match, Watanabe and Higashino shook hands amicably.
During their final handshake, Arisa Higashino said, “I’m sorry,” to which Yuta Watanabe responded, “So am I.”
Over the past decade, Japanese badminton has made significant progress under the leadership of Korean star Park Joo-bong. However, Japan has traditionally not placed much emphasis on the development of mixed doubles players, making the achievements of the Watanabe-Higashino pair particularly remarkable.
After the Japan Open, the two will go their separate ways. Yuta Watanabe will partner with an 18-year-old rising star, while Arisa Higashino will focus on women’s doubles with her new partner.
