Shingo Kunieda facts for kids
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Kunieda at the 2011 US Open, New York
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| Country (sports) |  Japan |
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| Residence | Chiba, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 21, 1984 Tokyo, Japan |
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| Plays | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 493–62 (88.89%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (9 October 2006) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters | W (2012, 2013, 2014) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic Games |  Gold Medal (2008, 2012, 2020) |
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| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 340–82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (21 May 2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (2006, 2013, 2014, 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2007, 2014) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters Doubles | W (2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic Games | Gold Medal (2004) |
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| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Team Cup | 2003, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Shingo Kunieda (国枝 慎吾, Kunieda Shingo, born February 21, 1984) is a famous Japanese wheelchair tennis player who used to play professionally. He is known as one of the greatest male wheelchair tennis players ever! He won four gold medals at the Paralympic Games. He also won an amazing 28 major singles titles, which is a record for any tennis player. Overall, he has won 50 major titles.
Kunieda was the top-ranked player in the world (ITF World Champion) from 2007 to 2010. He was also the number one doubles player in 2007. In several years (2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2015), Kunieda won all three major singles tournaments that included wheelchair events. Wimbledon started hosting wheelchair singles in 2016. Kunieda is the only male player to win the Paralympic men's singles gold medal three times in a row (2008, 2012, and 2020). He also won a gold medal in men's doubles at the 2004 Paralympics. He helped Japan win the World Team Cup twice. In total, he has won 103 career titles in singles and doubles.
Kunieda had an incredible winning streak of 106 matches. This streak lasted for three years! He had another winning streak of 44 matches in 2012-2013. From 2014 to 2015, he had yet another streak of 77 wins.
Kunieda played with his right hand. His favorite type of court was a hard court. His coach was Hiromichi Maruyama. Kunieda announced that he was retiring from professional tennis in January 2023.
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About Shingo Kunieda
When Shingo was 9 years old, doctors found a tumor in his spinal cord. This caused him to become paralyzed in the lower half of his body. Kunieda uses a special wheelchair made by Ox Engineering for his tennis matches. He studied at Reitaku University in Japan. After graduating, he started working for the university.
Shingo Kunieda's Tennis Career
Early Career: 2005–2008
Kunieda started his career by winning many tournaments. In 2007, he became the number one player in the world again. He won the Australian Open in a tough three-set match. He also won major tournaments in Paris and New York. He won many other events around the world. At the end of 2007, he was named the World Champion.
In doubles, he won the Australian Open with his partner Robin Ammerlaan. He also won other doubles titles with different partners. Kunieda was part of the Japanese team that won the World Team Cup. In 2008, Kunieda won major titles in Melbourne and Paris. He also won the gold medal at the Paralympics. He was named the ITF World Champion for 2008.
Winning Streaks: 2009–2012
In 2009, Kunieda achieved a "Grand Slam" in wheelchair tennis. This means he won all the major singles tournaments in one year. He won many other titles and was named the 2009 ITF World Champion. In doubles, he won the Australian Open with Robin Ammerlaan.
In 2010, Kunieda continued his winning ways. He won his 100th straight singles match! He won both singles and doubles titles at the Australian Open and French Open. He even saved two match points in Melbourne to keep his winning streak going. He also won the US Open. At the 2010 Asian Para Games, he won two gold medals. He finished the year as the ITF World Champion again.
In 2011, Kunieda won more titles. He had to stop playing in some tournaments because of an elbow injury. But he still won the Australian Open and the US Open.
In 2012, Kunieda won the French Open. He also won the Swiss Open and the British Open for the fourth time. He made history by becoming the first man to win the Paralympic Games men's singles title twice in a row. He finally won the Masters tournament in 2012, which was a big achievement for him.
Dominance and More Wins: 2013-2015
During these years, Kunieda was the best player in men's singles wheelchair tennis. In 2013, he won the APIA Sydney International Wheelchair Open. He then won his eighth Australian Open title. This win extended his amazing winning streak to 34 matches. His 44-match winning streak ended when he lost in South Africa. He still played well for Japan in the Team World Cup. At the 2013 French Open, he reached the final but lost in a very close match.
Grand Slam Success and Retirement: 2021–2023
The Tokyo Paralympics were held in 2021 because of COVID-19. Kunieda played five matches and won them all without losing a single set. He won the gold medal in singles. He beat the defending champion in the semifinals and another strong player in the final.
At the US Open, Kunieda won his 25th major singles title. He continued his success in 2022. He won the Australian Open by beating Alfie Hewett in a three-set final. He also won the French Open, winning another tough three-set match.
At the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Kunieda won his first singles title there. This was a huge win! He was down in the final set but came back to win. This victory meant he had achieved a "non-calendar year Grand Slam" and a "career Super Slam" in singles. This was his 28th major singles title. In doubles, Kunieda and his partner won the Wimbledon title.
In the 2022 US Open, Kunieda hoped to win another Grand Slam. He reached the final but lost to Alfie Hewett. Shingo Kunieda announced his retirement from tennis in January 2023.
Playing Style
One of Kunieda's biggest strengths was his "chair work," which means how well he moved his wheelchair. In wheelchair tennis, the ball can bounce up to two times. But Kunieda almost always hit the ball after only one bounce. This made it very hard for his opponents because they had less time to react.
In 2008, another top player, Michael Jeremias, said that Kunieda had "almighty abilities." He especially praised Kunieda's speed of movement, calling it "outstanding." Kunieda also improved his serve and backhand over time.
Before 2006, Kunieda was ranked around 10th in the world. But after getting advice from a mental trainer, Anne Quinn, he started telling himself, "I'm the strongest!" This helped him become mentally tougher. Within 10 months, he became the world's number one player.
Kunieda also wanted to make wheelchair tennis exciting to watch. He tried new ways of playing, like hitting strong topspin backhands and playing aggressively at the net. He wanted to help spread sports for people with disabilities and make them fun for everyone to see.
Career Statistics
Grand Slam Performance in Singles
| Tournament | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | SR | W–L |
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| Australian Open | A | W | W | W | W | W | A | W | W | W | QF | A | W | SF | W | SF | W | 11 / 14 | – |
| French Open | NH | W | W | W | W | SF | F | F | W | W | SF | QF | W | SF | SF | F | W | 8 / 16 | – |
| Wimbledon | Not held | A | SF | QF | F | NH | QF | W | 1 / 5 | – | |||||||||
| US Open | SF | W | NH | W | W | W | NH | F | W | W | NH | QF | F | QF | W | W | F | 8 / 13 | – |
| Win–loss | 1–1 | 9–0 | 7–0 | 8–0 | 8–0 | 7–1 | 2–1 | 7–2 | 9–0 | 9–0 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 8–2 | 4–4 | 7–1 | 6–3 | 12–1 | 28 / 49 | – |
Grand Slam Performance in Doubles
| Tournament | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | SR | W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | W | W | W | W | W | A | W | W | W | F | A | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF | 8 / 14 | – |
| French Open | NH | F | W | SF | W | W | W | W | SF | W | W | SF | SF | W | F | SF | SF | 8 / 16 | – |
| Wimbledon | W | F | A | F | F | SF | A | W | W | SF | A | SF | SF | SF | NH | SF | W | 4 / 13 | – |
| US Open | F | W | NH | SF | SF | SF | NH | SF | W | SF | NH | SF | SF | F | SF | F | QF | 2 / 14 | – |
| Win–loss | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 22 / 59 | – |
Grand Slam Singles Finals: 35 Matches (28 Wins, 7 Losses)
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2007 | Australian Open | Hard |  Michaël Jérémiasz |
6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 2007 | French Open | Clay |  Robin Ammerlaan |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 2007 | US Open | Hard | Robin Ammerlaan |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 2008 | Australian Open (2) | Hard | Michaël Jérémiasz |
6–1, 6–4 |
| Win | 2008 | French Open (2) | Clay | Robin Ammerlaan |
6–0, 7–6 |
| Win | 2009 | Australian Open (3) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 2009 | French Open (3) | Clay | Stéphane Houdet |
6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 2009 | US Open (2) | Hard | Maikel Scheffers |
6–0, 6–0 |
| Win | 2010 | Australian Open (4) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
7–6, 2–6, 7–5 |
| Win | 2010 | French Open (4) | Clay |  Stefan Olsson |
6–4, 6–0 |
| Win | 2010 | US Open (3) | Hard | Nicolas Peifer |
Walkover |
| Win | 2011 | Australian Open (5) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
6–0, 6–3 |
| Win | 2011 | US Open (4) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
3–6, 6–1, 6–0 |
| Loss | 2012 | French Open | Clay | Stéphane Houdet |
2–6, 6–2, 6–7 |
| Win | 2013 | Australian Open (6) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
6–2, 6–0 |
| Loss | 2013 | French Open | Clay | Stéphane Houdet |
5–7, 7–5, 6–7 |
| Loss | 2013 | US Open | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2014 | Australian Open (7) | Hard |  Gustavo Fernández |
6–0, 6–1 |
| Win | 2014 | French Open (5) | Clay | Stéphane Houdet |
6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 2014 | US Open (5) | Hard | Gustavo Fernández |
7–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 2015 | Australian Open (8) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 2015 | French Open (6) | Clay | Stéphane Houdet |
6–1, 6–0 |
| Win | 2015 | US Open (6) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
6–7, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 2018 | Australian Open (9) | Hard | Stéphane Houdet |
4–6, 6–1, 7–6 |
| Win | 2018 | French Open (7) | Clay | Gustavo Fernández |
7–6, 6–0 |
| Loss | 2018 | US Open | Hard |  Alfie Hewett |
3–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 2019 | Wimbledon | Grass | Gustavo Fernández |
6–4, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 2020 | Australian Open (10) | Hard | Gordon Reid |
6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 2020 | US Open (7) | Hard | Alfie Hewett |
6–3, 3–6, 7–6 |
| Loss | 2021 | French Open | Clay | Alfie Hewett |
3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2021 | US Open (8) | Hard | Alfie Hewett |
6–1, 6–4 |
| Win | 2022 | Australian Open (11) | Hard | Alfie Hewett |
7–5, 3–6, 6–2 |
| Win | 2022 | French Open (8) | Clay | Gustavo Fernández |
6–2, 5–7, 7–5 |
| Win | 2022 | Wimbledon | Grass | Alfie Hewett |
4–6, 7–5, 7–6 |
| Loss | 2022 | US Open | Hard | Alfie Hewett |
6–7, 1–6 |
See also
In Spanish: Shingo Kunieda para niños
