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Miyuka Kimoto made a life-changing decision by moving to the United States in August 2021. She hardly knew English upon arrival and was surrounded by masks and social distancing due to COVID-19, which she said made the transition difficult.

Taking on challenges is nothing new for Kimoto. In her native Japan, Kimoto was ranked the best under-18 tennis player in 2018 and became a semifinalist at the 2019 Junior Olympic Cup despite being among the youngest in the competition.

While Kimoto admitted there isn’t a particular reason she wanted to come to the U.S., she said a change of scenery was in her best interest.

It led her to Syracuse, where the now-senior has starred for its tennis program over the last four years. She made the NCAA Doubles Championship in 2022 and 2024, and defeated a top-three singles opponent last year. The senior is currently 9-1 in 2025, with five of those wins coming in doubles, and her strong first month has boosted the Orange to a 7-0 record.

Before thriving at SU, Kimoto’s high-school days were often spent refining her game. For three years, she typically spent up to eight hours training after school.

“My high school had a good tennis program; this schedule was tough but it made me stronger,” Kimoto said.

However, her biggest challenge came in moving to the U.S. She said she didn’t know English, had trouble obtaining a visa and struggled adapting to Zoom classes.

Miyuka Kimoto made an instant impact for Syracuse as a freshman in 2022, forming the ITA’s No. 18 doubles pairing with Polina Kozyreva. Cassandra Roshu | Staff Photographer

Despite the challenges, Kimoto said she’s grateful for SU head coach Younes Limam’s warm welcome. Though COVID-19 prevented an in-person visit to Drumlins Country Club, Limam sent her videos of the facilities.

Kimoto wasn’t the only SU player moving from Japan to Syracuse during the pandemic. Her teammate and fellow senior Shiori Ito also dealt with a similar situation when she arrived in the U.S. in 2021. Luckily, they’ve known each other since they were 10.

“We have survived every day together. There have been tough and good moments that we’ve spent together,” Kimoto said of her relationship with Ito.

Kimoto leaned on Ito for support in adjusting to American culture. Now, as seniors, they serve as role models for underclassmen facing similar challenges.

“Miyuka can really relate to the freshmen that just came in this spring,” Limam said of Kimoto. “She has a really big heart and always wants to help her teammates.”

In her first season with the Orange, Kimoto led the team with 33 wins across the fall and spring seasons and even punched her ticket to the NCAA Doubles Championship alongside Polina Kozyreva. The duo of Kozyreva and Kimoto finished as the No. 18 pairing in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s national doubles rankings.

Limam complemented Kimoto’s ability to adapt to adverse situations. Despite her record sinking to 15-23 as a sophomore, her 21-12 mark in her junior year and 90% win rate to start this spring has cemented Kimoto as one of SU’s top players.

“The biggest thing that comes to mind when seeing Miyuka is even when she’s not playing her best, she uses problem-solving and finds ways to beat her opponents,” Limam said. “I think that helped her tremendously in becoming comfortable coming here from Japan.”

Limam said that Kimoto’s diverse skill set has been apparent in her matches against top-10 ranked singles players, specifically her “world-class backhand” and strong hands at the net. Last year, Kimoto downed No. 3 Amelia Rajecki from then-No. 8 NC State in straight sets, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4).

“Everyone wasn’t expecting me to win, but I didn’t give up on any points and tried to stay focused the whole time,” Kimoto said of the win.

Kimoto’s high-level maturity is also evident when playing doubles, Limam said. She has reached the NCAA Doubles Championships in two seasons with different partners: Kozyreva in 2022 and Viktoriya Kanapatskaya a season ago.

“I think I had a great experience playing doubles with (Kimoto). My weakest shot was a volley, and she took care of the job,” Kozyreva said. “I really loved her support, and I always felt like nothing was going to go wrong when she was at the back line or net.”

Now boasting a nearly undefeated record in her final season with the Orange, Kimoto’s challenges are behind her while emerging as a threat in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“It’s my last season, so I just need to enjoy it,” Kimoto said. “I don’t want to have any regrets after I graduate.”

Published on February 18, 2025 at 10:45 pm

sabrod@syr.edu