12 Facts About Shuzo Matsuoka

Shuzo Matsuoka is a retired Japanese professional tennis player, sports commentator, entertainer, and motivational speaker.

In 1992, Shuzo Matsuoka became the first Japanese player to win a singles event on the ATP Tour when he captured the title in Seoul.

Shuzo Matsuoka won the first set tie-break but Sampras came back to win in four sets.

At the US Open of 1995, during the fourth set of his first round match against Petr Korda, Shuzo Matsuoka collapsed from severe cramping in his thighs which left him writhing in pain on the court for several minutes.

The rules at the time meant that Shuzo Matsuoka would have forfeited the match if he had gotten medical attention, so he was left to suffer until he was defaulted for delaying the match.

Shuzo Matsuoka retired from the professional tour in April 1998.

Shuzo Matsuoka is a sportscaster for Hodo Station, hosting interviews and segments that focus on talented athletes.

In 2008 Shuzo Matsuoka was featured in ten television commercials, tying him with Takuya Kimura for the celebrity to be featured in the greatest number of Japanese television commercials that year.

Since 2006, Shuzo Matsuoka has been releasing a web series of motivational videos called For you, shot at locations he visits for work.

In 2009, Shuzo Matsuoka expressed excitement at the popularity of his For you series and the MADs, the latter numbering in the thousands by 2011.

Shuzo Matsuoka married former TV Tokyo announcer Emiko Taguchi in 1998, and has three children.

Shuzo Matsuoka has a daughter, who debuted in Takarazuka Revue in 2019 as part of the 105th class.