[Singles First Round]
○ Sho Shimabukuro 6–3, 7–6(4) ● Tomas Machac (CZE) [5]

■"The key was the seventh game of the first set, when I broke his serve at 4–3," Shimabukuro said, pointing to the moment that turned the match in his favor. He began to time his returns better against Machac’s serve, applying pressure with aggressive groundstrokes. At 15–30, he fired a powerful backhand return to earn a crucial point and eventually secured the break after a double fault from Machac."From the start, I was able to play my style of tennis. I didn’t try to force things—just went for the balls I felt confident about and hit them with no hesitation," Shimabukuro reflected.

■In the second set, he was broken early in the second game, but immediately responded with a strong return game to break back. "There was a stretch when my opponent had the momentum, but I was able to pull it back and make it my own again with solid play," he said. Facing the world No. 22, Shimabukuro showed no signs of being intimidated and stuck to his aggressive game plan.

■"My serve has been solid since the qualifying, and I had confidence in my service games. I knew the key would be how I disrupted his rhythm on the return. I felt like I was able to control the match overall," Shimabukuro said. Beating the highest-ranked opponent of his career in straight sets, he added with a smile, "I’d already won two matches in the qualifying, so I was feeling confident—honestly, I’m not afraid of anything right now."

■In 2023, Shimabukuro reached a career-high ranking of No. 135 but struggled afterward. "There was a time when I wasn’t winning and didn’t get chances to face top players. But I believed that if I played my style of tennis, I’d still have opportunities," he said. He’s now proving that belief—beating world No. 82 in the first round of qualifying, No. 72 in the second, and now taking down world No. 22.

■"There are still chances ahead, so I want to stay humble and keep fighting," he added. In the second round, Shimabukuro will face Sebastian Korda (USA), currently ranked No. 74 but formerly as high as No. 15 just a year ago.

(Japan Tennis Association)