Bruna Yumi Takahashi (born 19 July 2000) is a Brazilian table tennis player.[1] She represented Brazil at the Summer Olympics two times since 2016. She is one of the best Americas players in the ITTF world ranking, after Puerto Rico's Adriana Diaz. Her sister Giulia Takahashi also plays table tennis.
Career
2013-2016
In October 2013, she won the U13 Latin American Championship title in singles.[5]
On November 1, 2015, she became a cadet World Champion, when she won the World Challenge title in the cadet category, in Sharm El-Shwikh, Egypt. [6]
At 15 years old, Takahashi was the youngest athlete on Team Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics. As part of the Brazilian team, her only match was with the then current Olympic champion, Chinese Li Xiaoxia.[8][2]
2017-2020
She participated in the adult World Championships for the first time in 2017, in singles and doubles.[9]
At the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, in Buenos Aires, she reached the quarterfinals of the individual tournament, losing only to China's Sun Yingsha, who finished with the gold medal. Thus, Takahashi finished in the top 8.[12]
At the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Takahashi was seeded N° 5 in women's singles.[14] She won four medals at the 2019 Pan American Games: bronze in singles and doubles, and silver in mixed doubles and for the Team.[15]
In May 2022, Takahashi entered the top 20 of the ITTF world rankings in women's singles, making her the first Brazilian to achieve this feat.[18]
In July 2022, she reached the quarter-finals of the WTT Star Contender in Budapest, being the only non-Asian to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. [19]
She won the bronze medal three times at the WTT Contender in Lima 2022, Tunis 2023 and Rio de Janeiro 2023, reaching the semi-finals of the tournaments. In Tunisia, she was the only non-Asian to reach the semi-final.[21][22]
She reached the round of 16 of the WTT Champions of Xinxiang 2023 and Incheon 2024.[28][29]
In January 2024, Takahashi obtained one of her greatest individual titles when she won the Pan American Table Tennis Cup. With this, she also guaranteed a place in the Table Tennis World Cup, held in Macau, China, in April.[30]
At the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships, the Brazilian team reached the round of 16 of the tournament for the first time. Although Brazil was eliminated by South Korea in the round of 16, in this match Takahashi defeated Shin Yu-bin, the world number 8, by 3 sets to 2, obtaining one of the biggest victories of her career. [31]
At the 2024 Table Tennis World Cup, held in Macau, China, Takahashi was drawn to play against Joo Cheonhui (world no. 17) and Sarah Hanffou (world no. 86) in group 15. [32] Takahashi beat Sarah Hanffou by 3 sets to 1 and competed to qualify for the round of 16 with Joo Cheonhui, where she needed to win to advance to the stage. The Korean managed to impose her game and came out ahead by 2 sets to 0, qualifying for the round of 16. Takahashi still tied the game at 2-2, however, being eliminated in the group stage, in her first participation in the World Cup.[33]
At the 2024 WTT Contender in Rio de Janeiro, she managed to repeat her 2023 result, reaching the semifinals of a tournament of this size for the 4th time. [34] She also reached the doubles semifinals, with her sister Giulia Takahashi.[35]
2024 Summer Olympics
At the 2024 Summer Olympics, she and Vitor Ishiy were eliminated in the mixed doubles debut by 4 sets to 2. In the singles draw, she won her first match at the Olympics, but was eliminated in the second round by Lily Zhang by 4 sets to 2.[36][37]
Best results by type of tournament
Singles
Her best ranking in singles was No. 17 in the world, obtained on June 21, 2022.[38]
