Hiroko Kuwata (Japanese: 桑田寛子; born 18 December 1990) is a Japanese tennis player.

Hiroko Kuwata
桑田寛子
Kuwata at the 2016 Wimbledon
Country (sports) Japan
Born (1990-12-18) 18 December 1990 (age 33)
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan[1]
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$ 356,468
Singles
Career record353–319 (52.5%)
Career titles7 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 150 (9 May 2016)
Current rankingNo. 545 (5 February 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQ2 (2016)
French OpenQ2 (2017)
WimbledonQ1 (2015)
US OpenQ1 (2014, 2015)
Doubles
Career record251–190 (56.9%)
Career titles20 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 112 (13 July 2015)
Current rankingNo. 476 (5 February 2024)
Last updated on: 9 February 2024.

Kuwata has won seven singles titles and 20 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 9 May 2016, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 150. On 13 July 2015, she peaked at No. 112 in the WTA doubles rankings.

Career edit

Kuwata made her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 Washington Open, having entered the qualifying tournament and defeating Sanaz Marand and Stéphanie Dubois for a spot in the main draw. She was thereby pitted against world No. 45 Alison Riske and defeated the American in straight sets, losing five games in the process. It was Kuwata's first main-draw win at the WTA level.[2] She also competed in the doubles event, partnering with Kurumi Nara to defeat Nicola Slater and Emily Webley-Smith in the first round. The Japanese advanced to the final of the event, losing to Shuko Aoyama and Gabriela Dabrowski.[3]

WTA career finals edit

Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up) edit

Legend
Grand Slam
WTA 1000
WTA 500
WTA 250[a] (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–1)
Grass (0–0)
Clay (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss Aug 2014 Washington Open, United States International Hard   Kurumi Nara   Shuko Aoyama
  Gabriela Dabrowski
1–6, 2–6

ITF Circuit finals edit

Singles: 18 (7 titles, 11 runner–ups) edit

Legend
$75,000 tournaments (1–1)
$50,000 tournaments (0–1)
$25,000 tournaments (1–2)
$10/15,000 tournaments (5–7)
Finals by surface
Hard (6–10)
Carpet (1–1)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Feb 2012 ITF Vale do Lobo, Portugal 10,000 Hard   Estelle Guisard 2–6, 1–6
Win 1–1 Mar 2012 Kōfu International Open, Japan 10,000 Hard   Liu Fangzhou 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(7)
Loss 1–2 Mar 2013 Kōfu International Open, Japan 10,000 Hard   Yuuki Tanaka 3–6, 1–6
Win 2–2 Aug 2013 ITF Uşak, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Michaela Frlicka 7–6(3), 6–2
Win 3–2 Sep 2013 ITF Kyoto, Japan 10,000 Carpet (i)   Akiko Yonemura 6–1, 6–2
Loss 3–3 Nov 2013 Toyota World Challenge, Japan 75,000 Carpet (i)   Luksika Kumkhum 6–3, 1–6, 3–6
Loss 3–4 Mar 2014 ITF Port Pirie, Australia 15,000 Hard   Misa Eguchi 1–6, 2–6
Loss 3–5 Oct 2014 ITF Perth, Australia 25,000 Hard   Rebecca Peterson 3–6, 0–6
Win 4–5 Sep 2015 ITF Bangkok, Thailand 15,000 Hard   Bunyawi Thamchaiwat 6–3, 7–6(4)
Win 5–5 Oct 2015 ITF Bangkok, Thailand 15,000 Hard   Valeriya Strakhova 7–5, 6–4
Loss 5–6 Nov 2015 Bendigo International, Australia 50,000 Hard   Misa Eguchi 6–7(5), 3–6
Win 6–6 May 2016 Kangaroo Cup, Japan 75,000 Hard   Wang Qiang 6–2, 2–6, 6–4
Loss 6–7 Dec 2017 ITF Hong Kong 15,000 Hard   Haruka Kaja 6–4, 2–6, 6–7(4)
Loss 6–8 Jan 2018 ITF Hong Kong 15,000 Hard   Lee Ya-hsuan 4–6, 4–6
Win 7–8 Jun 2018 ITF Singapore 25,000 Hard   Jovana Jakšić 7–6, 6–0
Loss 7–9 May 2023 ITF Monastir, Tunisia 15,000 Hard   Katarina Kužmová 6–3, 6–7(4) 3–6
Loss 7–10 Jul 2023 ITF Monastir, Tunisia 15,000 Hard   Caroline Roméo 3–6, 4–6
Loss 7–11 Sep 2023 ITF Kyoto, Japan 25,000 Hard (i)   Sofya Lansere 0–6, 1–6

Doubles: 37 (20 titles, 16 runner–ups, 1 not played) edit

Legend
$75,000 tournaments (0–1)
$50/60,000 tournaments (5–6)
$40,000 tournaments (0–2)
$25,000 tournaments (9–4)
$10/15,000 tournaments (6–3)
Finals by surface
Hard (15–15)
Clay (0–1)
Grass (3–0)
Carpet (2–0)
Result W-L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Mar 2012 ITF Miyazaki, Japan 10,000 Grass   Akari Inoue   Kanae Hisami
  Yumi Miyazaki
6–3, 6–0
Loss 1–1 Jun 2012 ITF Tokyo, Japan 10,000 Hard   Akari Inoue   Maiko Inoue
  Kaori Onishi
7–5, 5–7, [7–10]
Win 2–1 Jun 2012 ITF Mie, Japan 10,000 Grass   Yuuki Tanaka   Akari Inoue
  Kaori Onishi
6–3, 3–6, [10–5]
Win 3–1 Mar 2013 Kōfu International Open, Japan 10,000 Hard   Akari Inoue   Han Na-lae
  Yang Zi
3–6, 7–5, [10–7]
Loss 3–2 Aug 2013 ITF Vienna, Austria 10,000 Clay   Hirono Watanabe   Michaela Pochabová
  Rebecca Šramková
5–7, 2–6
Win 4–2 Sep 2013 ITF Kyoto, Japan 10,000 Carpet (i)   Miyu Kato   Mana Ayukawa
  Emi Mutaguchi
6–4, 6–2
Loss 4–3 Mar 2014 ITF Port Pirie, Australia 15,000 Hard   Miyabi Inoue   Jessica Moore
  Aleksandrina Naydenova
4–6, 3–6
Win 5–3 Jun 2014 Fergana Challenger, Uzbekistan 25,000 Hard   Mari Tanaka   Nao Hibino
  Prarthana Thombare
6–1, 6–4
Win 6–3 Jul 2014 ITF Gatineau, Canada 25,000 Hard   Chiaki Okadaue   Mana Ayukawa
  Justyna Jegiołka
6–1, 6–4
Win 7–3 Jul 2014 Challenger de Granby, Canada 25,000 Hard   Riko Sawayanagi   Erin Routliffe
  Carol Zhao
w/o
Win 8–3 Feb 2015 Open de l'Isère, France 25,000 Hard (i)   Demi Schuurs   Manon Arcangioli
  Cindy Burger
6–1, 6–3
Win 9–3 Mar 2015 ITF Mildura, Australia 15,000 Grass   Yuuki Tanaka   Tian Ran
  Wang Yan
6–2, 6–0
Loss 9–4 Mar 2015 Blossom Cup, China 50,000 Hard   Junri Namigata   Eri Hozumi
  Makoto Ninomiya
3–6, 7–6(2), [2–10]
Win 10–4 Jun 2015 ITF Andijan, Uzbekistan 25,000 Hard   Nigina Abduraimova   Veronika Kudermetova
  Ksenia Lykina
4–6, 7–6(5), [11–9]
Win 11–4 Sep 2015 ITF Bangkok, Thailand 15,000 Hard   Ayaka Okuno   Mana Ayukawa
  Yuuki Tanaka
2–6, 6–1, [10–6]
Loss 11–5 Nov 2015 Bendigo International, Australia 50,000 Hard   Natela Dzalamidze   Lauren Embree
  Asia Muhammad
5–7, 3–6
Loss 11–6 May 2016 Kangaroo Cup, Japan 75,000 Hard   Ayaka Okuno   Eri Hozumi
  Miyu Kato
1–6, 2–6
Win 12–6 Jul 2016 Lexington Challenger, U.S. 50,000 Hard   Zhu Lin   Sophie Chang
  Alexandra Mueller
6–0, 7–5
Win 13–6 Oct 2016 Suzhou Ladies Open, China 50,000 Hard   Akiko Omae   Jacqueline Cako
  Sabina Sharipova
6–1, 6–3
Win 14–6 Jan 2017 ITF Hong Kong 25,000 Hard   Akiko Omae   Ksenia Lykina
  Riko Sawayanagi
6–1, 6–0
Loss 14–7 Mar 2017 Blossom Cup, China 60,000 Hard   Zhu Lin   Han Xinyun
  Ye Qiuyu
3–6, 3–6
Loss 14–8 Jun 2017 Kōfu International Open, Japan 25,000 Hard   Riko Sawayanagi   Rika Fujiwara
  Kyōka Okamura
6–7(4), 3–6
Win 15–8 Jul 2017 ITF Winnipeg, Canada 25,000 Hard   Valeria Savinykh   Kimberly Birrell
  Caroline Dolehide
6–4, 7–6(4)
Win 16–8 Jul 2017 ITF Gatineau, Canada 25,000 Hard   Valeria Savinykh   Kimberly Birrell
  Emily Webley-Smith
4–6, 6–3, [10–5]
Loss 16–9 Aug 2017 Lexington Challenger, U.S. 60,000 Hard   Valeria Savinykh   Priscilla Hon
  Vera Lapko
3–6, 4–6
Loss 16–10 Aug 2018 ITF Tsukuba, Japan 25,000 Hard   Naiktha Bains   Akiko Omae
  You Xiaodi
0–6, 6–7(4)
Win 17–10 Sep 2018 ITF Darwin, Australia 60,000 Hard   Rutuja Bhosale   Kimberly Birrell
  Katy Dunne
6–2, 6–4
Loss 17–11 Jan 2019 ITF Hong Kong 25,000 Hard   Robu Kajtani   Chen Pei-hsuan
  Wu Fang-hsien
3–6, 3–6
Loss 17–12 Mar 2019 Pingshan Open, China 60,000 Hard   Sabina Sharipova   Liang En-shuo
  Xun Fangying
4–6, 1–6
Win 18–12 May 2019 Kurume Cup, Japan 60,000 Carpet   Ena Shibahara   Erina Hayashi
  Moyuka Uchijima
0–6, 6–4, [10–5]
Loss 18–13 Aug 2021 ITF Bydgoszcz, Poland 25,000 Clay   Yuliana Lizarazo   Carolina Alves
  Iryna Shymanovich
1–6, 6–3, [5–10]
Win 19–13 Sep 2021 Caldas da Rainha Open, Portugal 60,000+H Hard   Momoko Kobori   Alicia Barnett
  Olivia Nicholls
7–6(5), 7–6(2)
Win 20–13 Apr 2022 ITF Monastir, Tunisia 25,000 Hard   Nigina Abduraimova   Paige Hourigan
  Valeria Savinykh
6–1, 3–6, [12–10]
Loss 20–14 Aug 2022 Bronx Open, United States 60,000 Hard   Han Na-lae   Anna Blinkova
  Simona Waltert
3–6, 3–6
Loss 20–15 Jan 2023 ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand 40,000 Hard   Kateryna Volodko   Liang En-shuo
  Ma Yexin
0–6, 3–6
Loss 20–16 Jun 2023 ITF La Marsa, Tunisia 40,000 Hard   Kateryna Volodko   Maria Kozyreva
  Wei Sijia
7–5, 4–6, [6–10]
Finalist[b] –NP- Nov 2023 ITF Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 25,000 Hard   Rebeca Pereira   Anna Hertel
  Olivia Lincer
not played

Notes edit

  1. ^ The WTA International tournaments were reclassified as WTA 250 tournaments in 2021.
  2. ^ The match was not played due to poor weather.

References edit

  1. ^ "桑田寛子". Japan Tennis Association. 2023-03-07.
  2. ^ "Citi Open Main Draw Singles" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Citi Open Main Draw Doubles" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.

External links edit