The man once called a “genius,” Yuto Muramatsu. “I was told, ‘You’re a genius; there’s nothing to fix.’”

Vol. 1

Yuto Muramatsu first came into the spotlight as a “boy genius” in elementary school. He seemed to be enjoying a smooth-sailing career, with a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games and a runner-up finish at the World Junior Championships, among other achievements. But in high school, he injured his right elbow, and after moving on to a corporate team, he went through a painful stretch without the results he had hoped for.
After that, he delivered a brilliant performance in Germany’s top-tier Bundesliga, where he was called “Mr. Two Point” (the man who gets two wins in singles and doubles). From this season (2026–27), he has transferred to T League’s Shizuoka Jade, and as of October 4, he is making a commanding impact with five straight wins to open the season.
This is a long interview with Yuto Muramatsu, a professional Player who takes Table tennis seriously and looks squarely toward his own future.

Yuto Muramatsu ● Yuto Muramatsu
Born October 14, 1996, from Yamanashi Prefecture. Won the U8, U10, and U12 titles at the All Japan Championships. Won a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games. From 2023, he played for four seasons in Germany’s Bundesliga Division 1 with Mainz and Saarbrücken. In the 2026–27 season, he will play for Shizuoka Jade in T League, the Polish league, and others
*The photo shows him together with his cousin Miu Hirano

When I was in second grade, I was tall, so that was simply why I became a Chop Player.

He was a quiet boy. 
Yuto Muramatsu was born in Chuo City, Yamanashi Prefecture. His cousin Miu Hirano’s family home is just a five-minute walk away. As a Chop Player, he won the three Hopes, Cubs, and Bambi titles at the All Japan Hopes, Cubs, and Bambi Championships, and was already being called a “boy genius” at the time. As an elementary school student, Muramatsu would go alone on weekends to train under Norio Takashima of Osaka, who was known as the “Mr. Chop Player” (third in the world in 1975).

Back then, when asked, Takashima would say, “There’s nothing I can teach Yuto. He just needs to grow taller and bigger,” praising Muramatsu. Quiet and reserved—perhaps inheriting the genes of his grandfather, Teruaki Hirano, a university math professor—the “genius Chopper,” who loved mathematics as a child, was one of Japan’s great hopes.

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●—How did you start playing Table tennis in the first place? 

Yuto Muramatsu (hereafter Yuto) I started in first grade. My grandfather was a university professor and had some Table tennis experience as a hobby, and because he loved Table tennis, he set up the “Hirano Table Tennis Center.” I practiced at the Hirano family home (my cousin Miu Hirano’s house). It was about a five-minute walk from my house, so I went there every day.

My grandfather taught Table tennis to Miu’s father and my mother, too. My mother is also a Chop Player. Miu’s father was a penhold Attack type and the captain of the Tsukuba University Table tennis team, right? My older sister also played Table tennis. She started before I did, and I followed her lead. She played Table tennis until her third year of junior high school, then retired. I also have a younger sister; she quit Table tennis once and is now a medical university student.

●—Was Muramatsu-kun a Chop Player from the start? 

Yuto For the first year, I was a shakehand Attack Player. That’s why I entered the All Japan Hopes, Cubs, and Bambi Championships Bambi division with a shakehand, double inverted rubber Attack style.