New Hire Ichinose’s All-Out Struggle Diary: “Roland-Garros Junior 2016 Wild Card Tournament in partnership with LONGINES – Japan Qualifier Version”
Hello! I’m Ichinose, a new hire who will start working as a full-time employee in April. I’m going all out! Since last October, I decided to make the most of my remaining time as a student and took the plunge to start working early as a part-time staff member! Before I knew it, six months had flown by, and I truly feel I was able to spend the busiest—and most fulfilling—time of my student life.
This time, I would like to introduce the “Roland-Garros Junior 2016 Wild Card Tournament in partnership with LONGINES – Japan Qualifier”, which was held in Japan for the first time and which I was involved with as a member of the team. It is a long post, but I hope you will read on!
The venue for the previous Wild Card Tournament in Paris. It is held right in front of the Eiffel Tower!
The tournament was held over three days, from Wednesday, March 9 to Friday, March 11, at the Ajinomoto National Training Center. It was the first initiative carried out as a collaborative project between the French Tennis Federation and the Japan Tennis Association, with the aim of further developing junior players. In the Roland-Garros Junior event, entry is normally granted to higher-ranked players; however, to give more young people dreams, hope, and opportunities, a wild card (organizer’s invitation) was established, granting entry to players who are not eligible for ranking-based selection. The event I participated in was the Japan qualifying tournament to compete in the Wild Card Tournament in Paris. As someone who has played sports (soccer) since childhood, I felt it was wonderful to help give these junior players dreams and hope, and I worked with all my might to share this information with the world!
At the reception party held the day before the tournament, we welcomed distinguished guests such as tennis legend Ms. Steffi Graf and one of Japan’s leading tennis players, Ms. Ai Sugiyama, who offered words of encouragement to the junior players competing in the tournament. Many members of the media also attended on the day, and I was extremely excited!
From left: Ms. Kyoko Nagatsuka, Ms. Ai Sugiyama, Ms. Graf, Ms. Naoko Sawamatsu, and Mr. Toshiro Sakai
Ms. Graf with the players
The Roland-Garros champion trophy tour, held over several days, involved bringing the trophy to famous spots around Tokyo (Kabuki-za, Tokyo Tower, Asakusa, Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club, KAWAII CAFE, and Longines (the tournament sponsor)) for photo shoots. The collaboration between the gleaming Roland-Garros champion trophy and Tokyo’s atmospheric scenery was truly wonderful, and personally, my favorite photos were taken in Asakusa.
The Roland-Garros champion trophy in Asakusa—something you would never normally see (lol)
On the day of the Japan Wild Card Qualifier, I, Ichinose, must admit I had never played tennis, but seeing the matches at the “Roland-Garros Junior2016 Wild Card Tournament in partnership with LONGINES – Japan Qualifier” left me stunned (laughs). Even to my untrained eye, every player—despite being a junior—had extraordinary skill and outstanding mental strength, and each match was a series of thrilling, edge-of-your-seat battles.
I handled on-site operations for the final on March 11, and it was striking to see the two women (champion Shimizu and Sato, the youngest player in the tournament at 13) and the two men (champion Tajima and Shimizu, who, though small in stature, has exceptional skill) play with intense determination, knowing that a win would send them to Paris, France.
Champion Shimizu, known for an aggressive, attacking style
Sato, the youngest in the tournament at 13, with a performance you would never guess was from the youngest player
Champion Tajima—quiet off the court, but once he steps onto it, he plays with intensity on full display!
Shimizu, small in stature but exceptionally skilled; his rhythmic footwork captivated the crowd
The men’s final was a nail-biter, with each player taking a set and the match going all the way to the deciding set! In the final set, neither gave an inch, and it came down to a tiebreak. There were some unexpected incidents along the way, such as a racket string breaking, but in the end, Tajima sealed a well-deserved victory with a service ace filled with determination!
Champion Shimizu and Tajima, smiling after earning the right to challenge in Paris
Personally, I am convinced that the players who competed in this tournament will go on to lead Japan’s tennis world in the future, and being able to work alongside them was truly a valuable experience. There is a video URL that compiles highlights from the tournament, the reception party, and the Roland-Garros champion trophy tour, so please watch it when you have time and experience the atmosphere of Roland-Garros for yourself!
In this project, SUNNY SIDE UP worked with the French Tennis Federation as the client, coordinating with the Japan Tennis Association and the Embassy of France in Japan, and was involved across a wide range of areas—from overall planning and negotiations with various parties, to tournament operations, to running the reception party the day before, and the Roland-Garros champion trophy tour. Personally, I was responsible for attracting media coverage for the reception party and the three days of the tournament, as well as handling media on the day. It was my first experience attracting and handling media for a sports project, and I was flustered at times, but I was impressed by my senior colleagues, who secured coverage through persistent negotiations and responded instantly on-site to media positioning and questions.
Finally, on a personal note, I never could have imagined six months ago that I would be able to work—during my part-time period—on one of the four major tennis tournaments (Grand Slams). I believe I would not have had this experience if, at that time, I had not taken the initiative to say, “I want to work as a part-time staff member!” Starting in April, I will join Sunny as a full-time employee, and I would like to make the most of this experience and work hard to catch up to—and surpass—my seniors!
Group photo of the tournament operations team (Mr. Dabadi was also on the team! For the record, Ichinose is on the far left of the top row—I should have smiled more…)
