Yuki Kaneko (badminton)

Yūki Kaneko
Personal information
CountryJapan
Born (1994-07-22) 22 July 1994
Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight67 kg (148 lb)
Spouse
​
(m. 2020)​
Retired31 March 2025
HandednessLeft
CoachJeremy Gan
Men's & mixed doubles
Highest ranking7 (MD with Takuto Inoue 12 July 2018)
12 (XD with Misaki Matsutomo 27 December 2022)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Japan
Sudirman Cup
2021 Vantaa Mixed team
Thomas Cup
2018 Bangkok Men's team
Asian Games
2018 Jakarta–Palembang Men's team
Asia Mixed Team Championships
2019 Hong Kong Mixed team
World Junior Championships
2012 Chiba Boys' doubles
2012 Chiba Mixed team
Asian Junior Championships
2012 Gimcheon Mixed team
BWF profile

Yuki Kaneko (金子 祐樹, Kaneko Yūki; born 22 July 1994) is a Japanese former badminton player who is currently a doubles coach for the BIPROGY (formerly Unisys).[1][2] Primarily competing in men's doubles with Takuto Inoue, Kaneko reached a career-high ranking of world No. 7 on 12 July 2018. Together, they won a BWF Grand Prix Gold title at the 2017 U.S. Open and a BWF World Tour Super 300 title at the 2018 German Open. They also became the first Japanese men's doubles pair since 1982 to reach the final of their home tournament, the 2017 Japan Open Super Series, and were runners-up at the 2018 Indonesia Open Super 1000.

Kaneko later transitioned to mixed doubles, partnering Misaki Matsutomo, with whom he achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 12 on 27 December 2022. Their achievements include being runners-up at the 2021 All England Open Super 1000 and the 2023 Syed Modi International Super 300. In team competitions, Kaneko earned silver medals at the 2021 Sudirman Cup, the 2018 Thomas Cup and the 2019 Asia Mixed Team Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games men's team event.

Career

Junior career

During his junior career, Kaneko secured two silver medals at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Chiba: one in boys' doubles with Takuto Inoue, finishing runners-up to Hong Kong's Lee Chun Hei and Ng Ka Long, and another in the mixed team event.[3][4][5] He also contributed to Japan's mixed team gold medal at the 2012 Asian Junior Championships in Gimcheon.[6]

Senior career

Yuki Kaneko's senior career began in men's doubles, partnering with Takuto Inoue. On the International Challenge circuit, they won their first senior international title at the 2013 Romanian International.[7] They also won the 2017 Austrian Open and were runners-up at the 2015 Osaka International.[8][9]

In the BWF Grand Prix series, Kaneko and Inoue secured their first Grand Prix Gold title at the 2017 U.S. Open, defeating top-seeded Chinese Taipei pair Lu Ching-yao and Yang Po-han.[10][11] They were also runners-up at the 2014 Russia Open, 2016 Thailand Open, 2017 China Masters, and 2017 Dutch Open.[12][13][14][15] During the 2016 Thailand Open, they upset the top-seeded Malaysian pair Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong in the opening round.[16]

On the BWF Super Series circuit, Kaneko and Inoue became the first Japanese men's doubles pair since 1982 to reach the final of their home tournament, the 2017 Japan Open. They defeated 2016 All England Open champions Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov in the semifinals before finishing as runners-up to Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.[17][18][19]

With the introduction of the BWF World Tour in 2018, Kaneko and Inoue won their first BWF World Tour title at the 2018 German Open Super 300 by defeating Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.[20][21] They were also runners-up at the 2018 Indonesia Open Super 1000, again losing to Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.[22][23] They achieved a career-high men's doubles ranking of world No. 7 on 12 July 2018.

Kaneko later transitioned to mixed doubles, partnering with Misaki Matsutomo. They finished as runner-up at the 2021 All England Open Super 1000, losing to compatriots Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino.[24] They were also runners-up at the 2023 Syed Modi International Super 300.[25] Their partnership achieved a career-high mixed doubles ranking of world No. 12 on 27 December 2022.

In team competitions, Kaneko earned silver medals at the 2021 Sudirman Cup, the 2018 Thomas Cup and the 2019 Asia Mixed Team Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games men's team event.[26][27][28]

Yuki Kaneko retired from his playing career on 31 March 2025, after a 12-year tenure with his team, BIPROGY (formerly Unisys). Following his retirement as a player, Kaneko transitioned into a new role as a doubles coach for the BIPROGY badminton team.[29]

Personal life

Yuki Kaneko married Ayaka Takahashi in 2020. Takahashi is a retired badminton player who was formerly Kaneko's teammate on both the Japanese national team and the Unisys team. Kaneko also partners with Misaki Matsutomo, Takahashi's former women's doubles partner, in mixed doubles.[30]

Achievements

World Junior Championships

Boys' doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2012 Chiba Port Arena, Chiba, Japan Takuto Inoue Lee Chun Hei
Ng Ka Long 		16–21, 17–21 Silver [4][3]

BWF World Tour (1 title, 3 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[31] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.[32]

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2018 German Open Super 300 Takuto Inoue Fajar Alfian
Muhammad Rian Ardianto 		21–16, 21–18 Winner [20][21]
2018 Indonesia Open Super 1000 Takuto Inoue Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 		13–21, 16–21 Runner-up [22][23]

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2021 All England Open Super 1000 Misaki Matsutomo Yuta Watanabe
Arisa Higashino 		14–21, 13–21 Runner-up [24]
2023 Syed Modi International Super 300 Misaki Matsutomo Dejan Ferdinansyah
Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja 		22–20, 19–21, 23–25 Runner-up [25]

BWF Superseries (1 runner-up)

The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[33] was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011.[34] Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2017 Japan Open Takuto Inoue Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 		12–21, 15–21 Runner-up [18][19]
  BWF Superseries tournament

BWF Grand Prix (1 title, 4 runners-up)

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2014 Russian Open Takuto Inoue Kenta Kazuno
Kazushi Yamada 		21–19, 20–22, 13–21 Runner-up [12]
2016 Thailand Open Takuto Inoue Berry Angriawan
Rian Agung Saputro 		21–17, 14–21, 18–21 Runner-up [13]
2017 China Masters Takuto Inoue Chen Hung-ling
Wang Chi-lin 		14–21, 6–21 Runner-up [14]
2017 U.S. Open Takuto Inoue Lu Ching-yao
Yang Po-han 		15–21, 21–13, 21–13 Winner [10][11]
2017 Dutch Open Takuto Inoue Liao Min-chun
Su Cheng-heng 		22–24, 18–21 Runner-up [15]
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2013 Romanian International Takuto Inoue Quentin Vincent
Sebastien Vincent 		21–10, 21–10 Winner [7]
2015 Osaka International Takuto Inoue Kenta Kazuno
Kazushi Yamada 		9–21, 19–21 Runner-up [9]
2017 Austrian Open Takuto Inoue Frederik Colberg
Rasmus Fladberg 		21–19, 21–17 Winner [8]
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament

References

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  2. ^ "Yuki KANEKO | Profile". BIPROGY (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 July 2025.
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