Former Badminton World Champion Wakana Nagahara Signs with JOOLA Japan as Pickleball Player

JOOLA Japan’s latest “catch” might be its biggest one yet. JOOLA recently announced that its Japan arm has signed former Japanese national badminton player and world champion Wakana Nagahara, who once formed the famed and feared “Nagamatsu Pair” with Mayu Matsumoto. Together, Nagahara and Matsumoto were among the world’s elite in badminton and brought numerous accolades to their home country.

Among Nagahara’s achievements in badminton are back-to-back world championships, medals in various international tournaments, and a world No. 1 ranking at one point in her illustrious career. The badminton superstar, however, retired from her first love early this year and has taken on a new challenge.

Wakana Nagahara Makes the Pickleball Leap with JOOLA

Now, Wakana Nagahara is testing her athletic abilities yet again by bringing her racquet skills over to pickleball after picking up the sport recently. She is all-in on pickleball, in fact, actively promoting it alongside other pickleball players and playing in domestic tournaments.

By signing with JOOLA, Wakana Nagahara will have a steady supply of the brand’s latest paddles, apparel, bags, and other equipment. She will also be called on to participate in competitive activities and in brand activation initiatives. She will also be asked to help JOOLA further promote pickleball by participating in domestic and international tournaments, workshops, lectures, and events.

I am delighted to join pickleball, a sport gaining significant attention as a new discipline, and deeply honoured to take on this challenge with the support of JOOLA’s high-quality equipment. Drawing on my experience in racket sports, I will strive to excel as a ‘dual-sport athlete’ dedicated to enhancing my competitive skills and promoting the sport.

In an interview with JOOLA, Wakana Nagahara recounted that she got into pickleball after an acquaintance introduced it to her. She found it incredibly fun, got hooked right away, and the rest is history.

I heard that not many players have switched from badminton to pickleball yet. I thought that by taking on this challenge myself, I might be able to contribute something to promoting pickleball, and that’s why I decided I wanted to challenge myself as a player.

Wakana Nagahara made her official tournament debut in June 2025 and is scheduled to compete in an international tournament in Ariake in December. JOOLA will be part of her journey by then, and the two will move forward together for what promises to be a bright future.