Nao Yamakita
Japanese badminton player (born 2005)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nao Yamakita (山北 奈緒, Yamakita Nao; born 30 October 2005) is a Japanese badminton player who specializes in women's doubles.[1] A former member of the Japanese national team, she plays for the NTT East team and has reached a career-high world ranking of No. 17 in women's doubles.[2] She won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Junior Championships and a bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Championships. Yamakita has won two Super 300 titles: her maiden BWF World Tour title at the 2025 Korea Masters and the 2026 Canada Open.
.jpg)
Yamakita at the 2025 Kaohsiung Masters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native name | 山北 奈緒 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 October 2005 Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Naru Shinoya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 101 wins, 31 losses (76.52%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 17 (with Hinata Suzuki, 21 July 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | 20 (with Hinata Suzuki, 25 August 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BWF profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career
2019–2023: Junior career and first senior title
Yamakita's junior career included winning the U17 mixed doubles title at the 2019 Asian Junior Championships with partner Yudai Okimoto.[3] In 2022, she and Maya Taguchi reached the finals of three European junior tournaments, including the Croatia Junior and Bulgaria Junior Opens.[4][5]
In 2023, Yamakita partnered with Mei Sudo to win the German Junior title.[6] The pair subsequently claimed the gold medal at the Asian Junior Championships by defeating South Korea's Park Seul and Yeon Seo-yeon in the final.[7] They also earned a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Spokane.[8] Yamakita was part of the Japanese squad that secured its first mixed team gold medal in 11 years at the Asian Junior Championships, as well as a bronze at the World Junior Championships. She made her senior international debut in June 2023 at the Guatemala Future Series, winning the women's doubles title with Sudo and finishing as runner-up in mixed doubles with Kenta Matsukawa.[9]
2024–2025: First World Tour title and world top 40
After joining the NTT East badminton team, Yamakita partnered with Naru Shinoya to win the 2024 Malaysia International.[10] In 2025, she began a partnership with Hinata Suzuki. The duo won the Saipan International and finished as runners-up at both the Northern Marianas Open and the Super 100 Kaohsiung Masters.[11][12][13] In November 2025, Yamakita won her first World Tour title at the Super 300 Korea Masters, defeating Kim So-yeong and Lee Seo-jin in straight games.[14] Following this victory, she reached a career-high world ranking of 37 in women's doubles.
2026: Canada Open title
In May, Yamakita and Suzuki reached the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open. The following month, the pair made their Super 1000 debut at the Indonesia Open, advancing to the second round before losing to world No. 1 Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning.[15] Later in June, Yamakita and Suzuki reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open, where they were defeated by compatriots and eventual champions Sumire Nakade and Miyu Takahashi. In July, Yamakita secured her second Super 300 title at the Canada Open, defeating Kaho Osawa and Mai Tanabe in the final.[16]
Achievements
World Junior Championships
Girls' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Podium, Spokane, United States |  Mei Sudo |
 Francesca Corbett Allison Lee |
21–18, 16–21, 13–21 |  Bronze |
[8] |
Asian Junior Championships
Girls' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Among Rogo Sports Hall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia | Mei Sudo |
 Park Seul Yeon Seo-yeon |
21–19, 14–21, 23–21 |  Gold |
[7] |
BWF World Tour (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[17] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[18]
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kaohsiung Masters | Super 100 | Hinata Suzuki |
Ririna Hiramoto Kokona Ishikawa |
16–21, 17–21 |  Runner-up |
[13] |
| 2025 | Korea Masters | Super 300 | Hinata Suzuki |
Kim So-yeong Lee Seo-jin |
21–18, 25–23 |  Winner |
[14] |
| 2026 | Canada Open | Super 300 | Hinata Suzuki |
Kaho Osawa Mai Tanabe |
21–15, 21–16 | Winner |
[16] |
BWF International Challenge/Series (3 titles, 2 runners-up)
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Guatemala Future Series | Mei Sudo |
Tomoka Miyazaki Maya Taguchi |
16–21, 21–14, 25–23 | Winner |
[9] |
| 2024 | Malaysia International | Naru Shinoya |
Hinata Suzuki An Uesugi |
21–13, 12–21, 21–17 | Winner |
[10] |
| 2025 | Northern Marianas Open | Hinata Suzuki |
Ririna Hiramoto Kokona Ishikawa |
17–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
[12][19] |
| 2025 | Saipan International | Hinata Suzuki |
Nanako Hara Riko Kiyose |
15–13, 8–15, 15–11 | Winner |
[11][20] |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Guatemala Future Series | Kenta Matsukawa |
Daigo Tanioka Maya Taguchi |
18–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
[9] |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF Future Series tournament
BWF Junior International (2 titles, 3 runners-up)
Girls' doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Croatia Junior Open | Maya Taguchi |
Rui Kiyama Kanano Muroya |
19–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
[4] |
| 2022 | Bulgaria Junior Open | Maya Taguchi |
Rui Kiyama Kanano Muroya |
14–21, 21–19, 17–21 | Runner-up |
[5] |
| 2022 | Malaysia Junior International | Maya Taguchi |
Rui Kiyama Kanano Muroya |
19–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
[21] |
| 2023 | German Junior | Mei Sudo |
 Li Huazhou Zhang Yuhan |
21–11, 19–21, 21–18 | Winner |
[6] |
| 2023 | Pembangunan Jaya Raya Junior | Mei Sudo |
 Ariella Naqiyyah Rachel Agnesia Sabatini |
21–17, 21–9 | Winner |
[22] |
- BWF Junior International Grand Prix tournament
- BWF Junior International Challenge tournament
- BWF Junior International Series tournament
Performance timeline
- Key
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | G | S | B | NH | N/A | DNQ |
National team
- Junior level
| Team events | 2022 | 2023 | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Junior Championships | NH | G | [23][24] |
| World Junior Championships | B | 5th |
- Senior level
| Team events | 2026 | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Asia Team Championships | 5th | [25] |
Individual competitions
Junior level
- Girls' doubles
| Events | 2022 | 2023 | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Junior Championships | NH | G | [7] |
| World Junior Championships | 3R | B | [8] |
- Mixed doubles
| Events | 2022 | 2023 | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Junior Championships | NH | 2R | |
| World Junior Championships | A | QF |
Senior level
Women's doubles
| Tournament | BWF World Tour | Best | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |||
| Swiss Open | A | 1R | 1R ('26) | |||
| Ruichang China Masters | A | QF | A | QF ('25) | ||
| Orléans Masters | A | 1R | 1R ('26) | |||
| Thailand Open | A | QF | QF ('26) | |||
| Singapore Open | A | 1R | 1R ('26) | |||
| Indonesia Open | A | 2R | 2R ('26) | [15] | ||
| U.S. Open | A | SF | SF ('26) | |||
| Canada Open | A | W | W ('26) | [16] | ||
| Japan Open | 1R | A | QF | QF ('26) | ||
| China Open | A | 2R | 2R ('26) | |||
| Korea Masters | 1R | A | W | A | W ('25) | [14] |
| Indonesia Masters Super 100 | 2R | A | QF | A | QF ('25) | |
| Japan Masters | A | 2R | 2R ('25) | |||
| Year-end ranking | — | — | 41 | 41 | ||
| Tournament | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Best | Ref |
Wins over top-10 ranked pairs
Wins over pairs who were ranked in the world's top 10 at the time the match was played.
| # | Partner | Opponent | Rk | Tournament | Rd | Score | Rk | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hinata Suzuki |
Rin Iwanaga Kie Nakanishi |
7 | 2026 Japan Open | 2R | 21–15, 18–21, 21–11 | 19 | [26] |
Record against selected opponents
Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 23 August 2026.[27]
Hinata Suzuki
| Players | M | W | L | Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning |
1 | 0 | 1 | –1 |
| Yuki Fukushima & Mayu Matsumoto |
2 | 0 | 2 | –2 |
| Rin Iwanaga & Kie Nakanishi |
3 | 1 | 2 | –1 |
 Benyapa Aimsaard & Nuntakarn Aimsaard |
1 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
