Is Lily Miyazaki the next British tennis player destined for stardom? Meet the Surrey-born maths genius, 27, making a name for herself after claiming her first win at a grand slam
- Highly intelligent and little-known 27-year-old has trodden unconventional path
- She was born in Tokyo and lived in Switzerland before moving to the UK aged 10
- READ MORE: British ace Lily Miyazaki reaches the second round of the US Open
Her accent is pure Surrey, but Lily Miyazaki has been on a global journey to become the latest British tennis star.
Just like Emma Raducanu’s fairytale story two years ago, Ms Miyazaki has come through qualifying to make a name for herself at the US Open.
After making it to the first round of last year’s Wimbledon, she is set to play in the second round at Flushing Meadows in New York tomorrow.
The £98,000 she has already earned from the tournament is around a quarter of her total career prize money.
But the highly intelligent and little-known 27-year-old has trodden an unconventional path to the glamour of the tennis grand slams.
She was born in Tokyo to Japanese parents and spent five years living in Switzerland before moving to the UK aged ten.
A delighted Yuriko Lily Miyazaki after making the main draw following her hard fought final qualifying round win US Open Championships 2023
After graduating with a maths degree, she added a master’s degree in information technology management, all while improving her tennis skills
The highly intelligent and little-known 27-year-old has trodden an unconventional path to the glamour of the tennis grand slams
While Ms Raducanu moved seamlessly from her A-levels to playing at Wimbledon, Ms Miyazaki wasn’t ready for the professional circuit and took up a college scholarship, spending five years at the University of Oklahoma in the USA.
After graduating with a maths degree, she added a master’s degree in information technology management, all while improving her tennis skills.
Based in Sutton, Surrey, she switched her allegiance to Britain from Japan in March last year – Japan doesn’t allow dual citizenship.
Ms Miyazaki will not have to look far for advice in handling her finances.
Her father Yoichi is head of investor relations for a Japanese company dealing with mergers and acquisitions, while her brother Shintaro works in investment banking.
The tennis star, who attended the £23,000-a-year Emanuel School in London, is said to enjoy reading, golf and playing the piano – a skill she inherited from her former concert pianist mother Akiko.
While tennis is popular in Japan, Ms Miyazaki’s love of the game was nurtured on the courts of the Sutton Tennis Academy in Surrey, where she was a regular throughout her childhood.
While tennis is popular in Japan, Ms Miyazaki’s love of the game was nurtured on the courts of the Sutton Tennis Academy in Surrey, where she was a regular throughout her childhood
Speaking after her first-round win on Monday, she said: ‘To be honest, I wasn’t the best junior.
‘Maybe I was average-ranked. Also physically I was quite small. I didn’t think I was ready for the main tour.
‘I’m happy that I went to college. It gave me four, five years to get myself physically better. I think it was the right decision for me.’
Just 5ft 5in and ranked 198 in the world, she still faces a big challenge to make it to the top.
But friends back home in Sutton say she has all the personal attributes to be a success.
Based in Sutton, Surrey, she switched her allegiance to Britain from Japan in March last year – Japan doesn’t allow dual citizenship. Pictured on on a trip to Porto
There will certainly be a smile on Ms Miyazaki’s face tomorrow if she manages to upset the odds by beating Olympic champion Belinda Bencic
Liam Rabbitte, a junior tennis coach in Sutton who has known Ms Miyazaki for about five years, said: ‘She is such a genuine and nice person. She is really kind and polite and friendly and will always take time to chat with you.
‘She’s been on a journey to where she is now for a long time, but she’s always been just one of the people in the club who is friendly and approachable.’
Asked if she has the dedication to be successful, Mr Rabbitte said: ‘She is 100 per cent dedicated. She is very committed, she trains hard, takes it really seriously, but from what I can see she really enjoys it.’
There will certainly be a smile on Ms Miyazaki’s face tomorrow if she manages to upset the odds by beating Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.
‘It’s going to be a tough match for sure,’ she said, adding: ‘The good thing is that I have seen her many times and she probably hasn’t seen that much of me.’
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