17LIVE signs Funemizu, Nakata, Yoshida to boost Japan pickleball growth

17LIVE has chosen a three-lane strategy for Japanese pickleball, signing Yuta Funemizu, Aoi Nakata and Yuta Yoshida for 2026 in a deal that treats the sport as both competition and content. The package gives the company a player who has already broken through in the United States, one who can speak to everyday working adults, and one whose sporting backstory stretches beyond pickleball itself.

Funemizu gives the agreement its clearest performance edge. Visional said he re-signed with Miami Pickleball Club for the 2026 Major League Pickleball season before the draft, after helping Miami reach the playoffs in 2025. He was the only returning male on the club’s roster from the previous season, and in a league that included 20 clubs and 110 players, 54 players were re-signed before the draft. Funemizu also became the first Japanese player ever to record a game win in Major League Pickleball, a milestone that adds weight to the deal far beyond a simple sponsorship logo.

His results in tournament play sharpen that case further. At the PPA Cape Coral Open, Funemizu beat former world No. 1 Collin Johns and finished fifth, the best result ever by a Japanese player in the event. His men’s doubles ranking climbed to 56th as of Feb. 19, 2026, giving 17LIVE a player whose value is measured not only in potential but in current form.

Nakata and Yoshida give the project two different kinds of reach. Nakata is not just a player but a working professional in sales who has become a recurring national-team presence while building a profile through lessons and events. That makes her the most immediate bridge to newcomers who may see pickleball first as a weekday after-work sport rather than a pro tour pathway.

Yoshida brings a different kind of credibility. He comes from soft tennis and crossminton, reached world No. 1 in crossminton before switching to pickleball, and has already collected domestic titles. Japan’s first pickleball awards recognized that broader impact, giving him a Special Award for popularizing the sport in a vote that covered nine categories and drew more than 1,300 public ballots.

17LIVE said each athlete is expected to open a personal streaming account, turning training, competition and off-court life into a continuing series instead of a one-time sponsorship announcement. That is the real bet behind the signing: in Japan, pickleball may spread fastest when recognizable athletes make it feel less like a niche and more like a habit. The timing also fits a growing domestic calendar that now includes the first PPA Tour Asia event held in Japan, the Sansan FUKUOKA OPEN.