Oda, a guitar player with a passion for martial arts, expressed how special it was to know that Kunieda would explain his tennis heroism in front of a Japanese audience during the final match. He also mentioned how much of a big fan he is of Kunieda and how he was sad to hear about his retirement.
Oda’s journey towards becoming a wheelchair tennis player began when he was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left hip at the age of nine. He started playing wheelchair tennis a year later, not knowing that he would end up playing on Court Philippe Chatrier to the rapturous cheers of Japanese fans within seven years.
He shared that his dream when he started playing tennis while in the hospital was to watch a lot of matches. After seven long years, he is now able to live that dream and play at Grand Slam events. Looking forward to the two remaining Grand Slam events this year in London and New York, Oda expressed his excitement for what’s to come.