The man called a “genius,” Yuto Muramatsu. “As a Chop player, maybe I was putting limits on myself, thinking I’d get hit anyway.”

Vol. 2　The Interview of MURAMATSU Yuto

He was unquestionably a Player worthy of being called a “genius.”
Yuto Muramatsu made his first appearance at the World Junior Championships in 2011, when he was 15. When he went to the organizing committee’s room to pick up his ID card, there was a Japanese boy sitting there alone, hugging his knees. That was Muramatsu. He wasn’t making a racket with his teammates; he was just sitting there alone, hugging his knees.
But when he was used in the Final of the Team Event against China, he earned a Win at No. 3. Even the ITTF media staff at the time were stunned by the brilliance of his Chop and Attack. The contrast between the usually quiet boy and his aggressive Chop and Attack on court was striking.
Everyone recognized him as a prodigy and could only look ahead to a bright future for him—he was that kind of Player. But after elbow surgery in his second year of high school, his table tennis career gradually began to change course.

Yuto Muramatsu●むらまつ・ゆうと
Born October 14, 1996, from Yamanashi Prefecture. He won the U8, U10, and U12 titles at the All Japan Championships. He won a silver medal at the Youth Olympics. From 2023, for four seasons, he played in Germany’s Bundesliga first division for Mainz and Saarbrücken. In the 2026–27 season, he will play for Shizuoka Jade in the T League, as well as in the Polish league.

When my team suspended activities, I decided to go to Germany

●—You joined Tokyo Art and then competed at the 2015 World Championships.

Yuto　That was in my second and third years. In my first year after joining Tokyo Art (2014), I went to play for Bundesliga side Ochsenhausen. That was because my contract at the time said I could go overseas if I joined the company. Takagiwa (Takashi) was already playing in Germany for Tokyo Art as well. Ochsenhausen had its enjoyable parts, and it had its tough parts too. While everyone else seemed to be having fun at university and such, it felt like I was all by myself in the middle of the mountains. Well, I didn’t like it, but at the time I still wanted to go to the Olympics, so I kept going with that in mind.

●—Back then, you were struggling quite a bit with equipment, and mentally it was a hard period too. I remember your backhand rubber changing to inverted rubber and then to pimpled rubber.

Yuto　I was making those changes. But the people at Ochsenhausen were all great, and I was grateful for their support.

●—What was good about going to Germany?

Yuto　Gaining experience.

●—Before that, you had also played at the World Junior Championships.

Yuto　I played there about three times, and my best result was runner-up in Singles. Even when I went to national team training camps, at first people would watch me, but gradually I was moved to a table on the edge, and that lowered my motivation too. And because I was a Chop player, I just couldn’t really believe in myself.