[The Courage to Change and the Resolve to Attack] Satsuki Odo (Part 2) “I try to step onto the court with a constant awareness of having confidence in myself, no matter what.”

In 2025, I was struggling in uncertainty and almost lost sight of my own table tennis. But it was precisely because of that experience that Satsuki Odo changed so much this year.

After completely renewing her training environment and reworking her physical conditioning, she found a stable level of fitness and regained her original attacking style. That change is reflected in the fact that she beat Wang Manyu of China, who had gone six years and four months undefeated against Japanese players, and in the four WTT titles she has won this year.

With the race to make Japan’s team for the Los Angeles Olympics heating up in earnest, how does the 22-year-old, who has risen to 11th in the world rankings, view the factors behind her breakthrough and the challenges she still faces in reaching the next level? Looking back on the first half of 2026, she shared her thoughts.

• Odo Satsuki
  Born May 16, 2004, from Fukui Prefecture. She started playing table tennis at age 3 under the influence of her father, who coaches at a club team. She finished on the podium in the All Japan Bamby, Cubs, and Hopes divisions, and at the National Junior High School Championships in her second year at Shitennoji Junior High, she won both the team event and Singles. She won the All Japan Junior title two years in a row in 2020 and 2021. She placed third at the All Japan Championships in 2024. Won the 2024 WTT Champions Montpellier. At the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships, she finished runner-up in Mixed Doubles with Maharu YOSHIMURA. Right-handed shakehand attacker with inverted rubber on both sides, member of MIKIHOUSE, world ranking No. 11 as of August 24.

I’m confident against Choppers now. But in the past, I struggled against Chop.

●─You beat Wang Manyu at the 2026 WTT Champions Chongqing, kept advancing, then narrowly defeated Chen Yi of China in the Quarter-final to secure a place in the top four.

Satsuki Odo (hereafter, Odo) It was my first match against Chen Yi, but I felt she hadn’t fully adapted to my changes, so I used my Receive skill to vary Spin and Placement.

Even though she caught up after I led 3–1, in the end I went with the tactics I have the most confidence in, and managed to close it out in a Game-all deuce.

●─You lost to Mima Ito again in the Semi-final.

Odo I came into this tournament in what I felt was my best condition. That’s why I was reminded once again how strong Mima Ito is. The more she plays, the fewer openings she leaves, and the points I used to be able to win with Service and Receive are becoming harder to take.

These days, there are more situations where rallies decide the match, and in those moments I still feel she has the edge. As for me, Rally strength is one of the areas I’m working on most right now.