Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino: Over a Decade of Partnership, Their Relationship Remains Harmonious
Jayce
Japanese mixed doubles pair Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino have been partners since middle school, maintaining a seamless understanding for over a decade without ever having an argument. Recently, the two sat down for an interview with a Japanese magazine, where they openly discussed their exceptionally close relationship, which extends to their families.
The two, who are senior-junior schoolmates at the same national high school, have strong family ties as well. Watanabe mentioned that both families get along well and even sit together to cheer during matches. “My parents probably get updates about me through Higashino’s mom because I don’t usually talk much about myself to my parents, and sometimes I find it troublesome to reply to messages.”
Higashino recalled an instance where Watanabe injured his foot due to mat conditions abroad, and Watanabe’s parents directly asked her, “Is Yuta okay?”
The Paris Olympic qualification tournament will kick off in May next year. The young duo won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year and are now aiming for gold in Paris 2024.
Watanabe stated, “Currently, the mixed doubles scene is dominated by Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, as evidenced by their recent victory at the August World Championships. Apart from them, there are other Chinese pairs and a Thai pair. We are chasing after them. Although our abilities have come closer to theirs compared to before, there is still a significant gap. If we don’t narrow it down, it will be difficult to win gold in Paris. We can’t wait for the Chinese pairs to falter; we have to surpass them.”
