21 year old Aoi Ito from Japan is one of the most exciting new faces on the WTA Tour. At a career high ranking of #81 in the WTA live rankings after her second round victory as a qualifier at WTA Cincinnati, Ito is going to be a dangerous floater in the main draw of the US Open.
A Magical Summer for Ito
Ito’s summer has been the best of her career. She reached the final of the ITF tournament in Corroios-Seixal in Portugal, as a qualifier in Montreal, she beat Katie Volynets and then upset Jasmine Paolini the tournament’s #7 seed to reach the third round. She won both those matches in three setters, including a 7-5 tiebreak win over Paolini, a match in which she saved a match point, before she fell in three sets to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Once again needing to qualify to reach the main draw, Ito needed three sets to defeat Aleksandra Krunic, before a win over Dalma Galfi put her into the first round. She defeated Elena Gabriela Ruse in that first round match, before a narrow win over #27 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets 6-1 4-6 6-4.
Ito isn’t just pulling off impressive wins in her first year on the WTA Tour, she’s producing magical shots and creating her own fanbase of fans, who love the chaos she creates, along the way.
A Semifinal at Home in Osaka
After a series of successful ITF tournaments, the 2024 Osaka tournament was her WTA main draw debut. As a qualifier she upset Sofia Kenin, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and Eva Lys before falling to another qualifier, Kimberly Birrell in the semifinals. Ito would go on to qualify in Dubai, and Miami before her current summer of success. Of note, Ito was not active on the junior circuit, and only began to make headlines thru the ITF circuit as an adult.
Is the Magic Sustainable?
Ito is playing “classic tennis” in the words of former pro Jelena Jankovic. Rather than smashing serves and forehands, Ito relies on unorthodox shot making, slices, drop shots, and using the angles of the court to flummox her opponents and win matches. Her win over Volynets in Montreal was described by the WTA itself as follows: “Aoi Ito thrilled the Omnium Banque Nationale crowd with forehand slices, jumping backhands, delicate drop volleys and precise passes en route to defeating Katie Volynets”.
This is the type of game most WTA players don’t see week to week, Ito is not capable of serving her way out of trouble and often has to grind her service games, but her forehand slice, and ability to take pace off the ball lets fans remember the magic of French veteran Fabrice Santoro. Other players known for their finesse, rather than power include Radek Stepanek, Guillermo Coria, Michael Llodra, Henri Leconte, Oliver Rochus, Martina Hingis, Aga Radwanska, Ons Jabeur, and Justine Henin. While some of these players had more power, or came to net more often, they all had the ability to use angles and take pace off the ball to win rallies. Ito excels when she forces her opponents into making errors on shots they are not used to playing.
Madison Keys Is Up Next
With the right coaching and support, Ito, who is largely supported by her family as coaches, will be one of the toughest players on tour to face, if she can develop her serve and a more reliable backhand, the idea of being seeded in a Grand Slam by next season is very much in the cards. Next up for Ito is #6 Madison Keys, a power hitter who is going to take control of rallies and strike the ball hard, that match will be a real test of how Ito’s game measures up. Ito will be looking to slice, junkball and create enough angles to upset Keys.
Main Photo Credit: Imago Images Copyright: xChristinnexMuschix
