Mayu Matsumoto
Mayu Matsumoto is a Japanese badminton player. Born in Hokkaido, she graduated from Shiritsu Towanomorisanai High School. She plays for the Honegori Sagamihara team. Matsumoto was awarded as the 2018 Most Improved Player of the Year by the BWF together with her partner Wakana Nagahara. They obtained the honor after their win in the BWF World Championships title and improving their ranking from 14 to 3 in the world. In 30 April 2019, she reached a career high as a women's doubles world No. 1.
Career
2013–2016
In 2013, Matsumoto was selected to join the national junior team compete in the Asian Junior Championships. Played in three categories women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, she unable to win a single medal in the individual event. She won a bronze medal after Japanese team finished in the semi-finals. In 2014, she captured two title, winning the women's doubles title in the Smiling Fish International with Wakana Nagahara, and the women's singles title in the Indonesia International. She and Nagahara also reached the finals in a Grand Prix event, Russian Open. In 2015, she finished runner-up in the women's singles in the Russian Open, losing to Czechia Kristína Gavnholt.In 2016, Matsumoto and Nagahara reached two finals in the Grand Prix event, the U.S. and Thailand Opens. She claimed her first ever Grand Prix title in the 2017 Canada Open, winning the women's doubles with Nagahara. They then matched their previous year's achievement in the U.S. Open by becoming runners-up.
2018–2019
Matsumoto focused on competing in the women's doubles event in 2018. Together with Nagahara, she showed significant achievements. They won the gold medal in the 2018 World Championships, won two World Tour title in the Spain Masters and French Open, as well three runners-up in the Indonesia, [2018 2018 China Open (badminton)|China Open (badminton)|China], and Fuzhou China Opens. During the season, the duo was improving their ranking from 14 to 3 in the world and then awarded as the 2018 Most Improved Player of the Year by the BWF.Matsumoto and her partner, Nagahara, started the year as a semi-finalists in the Malaysia Masters, Indonesia Masters, and German Open. They only won a title in the BWF World Tour event, in the Singapore Open, and became a finalists at the historical All England Open, Japan Open, Asian Championships, as well at the BWF World Tour Finals, where they was beaten by Chinese pairing Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan in three finals. She was selected to join Japan Sudirman Cup team, where the team won the silver medal at that competition. Matsumoto and Nagahara successfully defended their World Championships title, after battling in a close rubber games against last year finalists Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota.
2021
In March, Matsumoto and her partner Nagahara won their first World Tour Super 1000 title in the All England Open defeating their compatriots, the defending champion, and current world number 1, Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota in the final. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics partnering Nagahara as 3rd seeds, and her pace was stopped by Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong of South Korea in the quarter-finals.2024
Matsumoto and Nagahara won the India Open title in January, defeating Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu in the final. The pair also reached the semi-finals of the French Open and the Indonesia Open. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, they were eliminated in the group stage. Later in the season, Matsumoto formed a partnership with Yuki Fukushima. The new pair reached the final of the Japan Masters, finishing as runners-up to Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, and advanced to the semi-finals of the China Masters.2025
Matsumoto and Fukushima began the season by winning the Super 1000 Malaysia Open, defeating Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian in the final. In March, the pair reached the final of the All England Open but finished as runners-up to compatriots Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. Following a third-round exit at the World Championships in August, the duo reached the semi-finals at the Korea Open, Denmark Open, and Japan Masters. In October, Matsumoto and Fukushima secured their second title of the year at the French Open, defeating Li Yijing and Luo Xumin. In December, the pair had risen to No. 5 in the world rankings. The pair also managed to reach the final of BWF World Tour Finals but losing out in the end against Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee of Korea.Achievements
World Championships
Women's doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, Nanjing, China |  Asian ChampionshipsWomen's doubles
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silver2
gold1