Rika Fujiwara — Former WTA Doubles Top-15 Player Signs Contract with the PPA Tour; Japan’s High-Profile Transfer (Apr 1 announcement coverage)

Rika Fujiwara signed a contract with the PPA Tour last week, adding a player with a WTA doubles ranking of No. 13 and a French Open doubles semifinal on her record to a global roster that has rarely featured Japanese competitors. The 44-year-old former tennis professional transitioned to pickleball in 2024 and, in under two years, climbed to DUPR Asia No. 1 and world No. 17 in singles. DUPR's March "Top Risers" recap flagged that trajectory as exceptional and called Fujiwara "one to watch."

The speed of that ascent reflects what she carried into the sport. A two-decade professional tennis career and years as a fixture on Japan's Fed Cup teams gave Fujiwara the footwork, court sense, and doubles instincts that transfer directly to pickleball's geometry and pace. DUPR's analysts noted that her skillset makes her a consistent podium threat, particularly in doubles, the discipline where she built her reputation on the WTA circuit.

Her PPA contract expands her competitive calendar from domestic Japanese events and PPA Tour Asia stops to the full global PPA circuit. Japanese representation on the worldwide PPA roster has historically been thin, and Fujiwara's signing shifts that picture at a moment when Asia's pickleball scene is growing faster than almost any other region.

The sponsor portfolio around the signing signals how seriously the commercial side is reading her crossover value. Yonex signed her to an advisory staff role, Kanagawa Daihatsu attached corporate support, and Oakley and PINK ION round out the individual brand deals. Sansan's involvement connects Fujiwara to Pickleball X, a talent-development initiative that positions her dual role as competitor and coach alongside former world-class coach Daniel Moore, with the stated aim of building a pipeline of internationally competitive Japanese players.

Fujiwara addressed the signing through her Instagram, framing the move as a deliberate professional pivot. She said she intends to "step forward as a pro" in pickleball and cited what she called "the warm culture that connects people with smiles" as part of her motivation to promote the game beyond results alone.

For Japan's pickleball development, the Pickleball X dimension of the deal may prove as consequential as the contract itself. Pairing a player of Fujiwara's pedigree with Moore's coaching framework gives the country's development pipeline a credibility it has lacked, and Sansan's institutional backing adds the structural weight to turn that ambition into something lasting.