■Tokito Oda, who won a gold medal at the Paris Paralympic Games, will be participating in the wheelchair tennis division of this tournament. This will be his first official appearance since the Paralympics. On the 24th, a public practice was held at Ariake Colosseum. Yasutaka Uchiyama, who participated in the qualifying, Takeru Yuzuki, who participated in the doubles qualifying, and Takashi Sanada, who is scheduled to participate in the wheelchair tennis category, performed a “new mixed doubles'' game in which a wheelchair tennis player is paired with an able-bodied player.

■At the press conference held prior to the public practice, he talked about his aspirations for the Games and looked back on the Paralympics, which he positioned as the conclusion of the first chapter of his career. When the Paralympic Games ended, he continued to have a busy schedule, including various events and media appearances. Although he was “ambivalent'' about participating in this tournament, he decided to participate because he “didn't want the wave he created with his Paralympic gold medal to end as just a fad. I think it's going to be even more exciting. I think a lot of people will come to see us as they learn about (wheelchair tennis) at the Paralympics.''

■Raising awareness of wheelchair tennis is always at the top of our priorities. I felt that the Paris Paralympic Games were the “biggest steps'' toward that goal. That's why I want to take the next step without wasting any time. “I think it's time for it to become more and more well-known. When you have a chance to see it live, it's completely different from what you see on screens,'' he says, intending to let the audience enjoy the world's best tennis. Gustavo Fernández (Argentina), who won bronze at the Paris Paralympics, will also be participating in this tournament. We are sure to see a high-level battle for victory.