In the last couple of years at the Toray Pan Pacific Open (TPPO) tennis tournament in Tokyo I’ve been delighted to meet a British female player each time. Last year I was lucky enough to meet Leicester’s very own Katie Boulter after a late finish in her opening match, and the year before I met Harriet Dart outside the show court after her victory in a qualifying match.

Those occasions were really wonderful, and I would’ve been happy to encounter a solitary player this year but things got a bit out of hand, and I met a lot more than that! Of course, all of them were fairly brief encounters comprising a short conversation and a polite request to take a photo with them which is a lot more than many others did! I was aware of all these players beforehand and actually a fan of a few of them in terms of following them on Instagram.

• Please note that the rankings given are for singles tennis and not doubles which some of these players are very good at.

1. Eva Lys, Germany. Current ranking: 44

Having won her two qualifying matches, rising star Lys was first on court for the opening day of the championships proper against Britain’s Katie Boulter. It was kind of harsh for them to face off against each other so soon but with less recovery time Lys was the deserved victor. She was the only player I met in the main tennis arena itself as all the others were on the show court or just outside it! More details here.

2. Varvara Gracheva, France. Current ranking: 77

I first came across Varvara at last year’s tournament in a Q&A session in which she came across very well. She was perhaps the friendliest and nicest of all the players I encountered this year but I have to admit that I was probably cheering for her opponent Xinyu Wang more in this singles match!

3. Maya Joint, Australia. Current ranking: 32

Joint has had a meteoric rise from 730 to her current position and is now the number one Australian female player at just 19 years old. Meeting this year’s Morocco Open champion was a strange one as she was just walking back alone to the main coliseum where the changing rooms are. She had no accompanying coaches or security with her so we walked and talked for a bit which was cool.

4. Jaqueline Christian, Romania. Current ranking: 39

Many tennis players come to my attention when they play some of my favourites. That was a similar case with Christian who progressed in the Ningbo Open earlier this month after her quarter final opponent Naomi Osaka withdrew from their match due to injury. At the conclusion of her win against Alina Charaeva I managed to catch her on the walk back to the main arena.

5. Christina Bucsa, Spain. Current ranking: 68

The primary reason I even know of Bucsa is because a friend and I often make puns about players and, though our pronunciation is wrong, we say things like “Christina Bucsa place in the next round”. She passed me outside before the match as she turned up alone which took me by surprise as all players generally arrive via golf carts. Her partner was Japanese doubles specialist Shuko Aoyama who naturally attracted more attention at the conclusion of their victory on Day 2. That provided the perfect opportunity to meet Buksa instead.

6. Victoria Mboko, Canada. Current ranking: 21

Beating Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open Final earlier this year put Mboko on my radar and I saw her take part in three matches at this tournament comprising two singles and one doubles. In the first one she beat her fellow compatriot Bianca Andreescu before they teamed up a few hours later in the doubles.

7. Bianca Andreescu, Canada. Current ranking: 227

The 2019 US Open Grand Slam winner partnered the aforementioned Victoria Mboko in the doubles, and it seemed like they were having a lot of fun out on court. Despite losing the first set they bounced back convincingly in the next one before the decisive final set tie-break.

8. Anna Danilina, Kazakhstan. Current ranking: 269

She is a major mixed-doubles champion having won the 2023 US Open and has been in various finals in women’s doubles too. This TPPO tournament was the first time I’ve ever really watched doubles tennis, and it was easy to see why she is currently ranked 13th in that category due to her anticipation and skilled play.

9. Alexsandra Krunic, Serbia. Current ranking: 363

Krunic was once a top 40 ranked player in the singles but now specialises in doubles. Together with Danilina, they made it to the French Open final in June this year and she is now ranked number 20 in the doubles. Danilina and her went on to make it to the final of the doubles at this TPPO.

There were a few other players that I could have taken photos with but I hadn’t really watched their matches and didn’t know who they were. Furthermore, I didn’t want to trouble those who had just tasted defeat. If I can’t say a line or two to a player before requesting a picture then I don’t feel so comfortable. There are many people though who just collect selfies for the sake of it and I guess I may regret it in the future if they go on to bigger and better things. Whether you know the player or not it’s probably all still good self-promotion for the players who will be remembered and followed on social media or whatever by the majority of people they meet.

The area between the two main courts where I met a couple of players

Click here to read ‘From Qualification To The 1st Round & Beyond? Following The Fortunes of My Favourite British & German Tennis Players In Tokyo!’

Click here to read ‘I Met Britain’s No. 1 Female Tennis Player In Tokyo (& I Was On The TV Coverage A Fair Bit Too!)’

Click here to read ‘The Highs & Lows of This Year’s International Tennis Tournament In Tokyo’

Click here to read ‘A Double Dose of Tennis: Alcaraz In Tokyo, Big Balls, A Brit Appearance, Japan’s Rising Star, German Efficiency & Bjorn Borg!’