Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Hometown Hero: Shu Matsuoka of Tokyo, Japan
2/20/2024 10:10:00 AM | Men's Tennis
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — One could make the argument that Tokyo, Japan, is perhaps the most bustling city in the world. Tokyo is a busy city. There's always a lot going on. It's crowded, lots of skyscrapers. You're always on the move. Buses, subways, scooters, and taxis are the main forms of travel in its crowded streets. It's vibrant, but its people are a peaceful people that always find a way to take delight in its vibrance.
From its ultra-modern skyscrapers to some of the more traditional temples that have been around for ages, it's the perfect place to define Japanese culture. Behind that culture are two very important virtues that even the nearly 14 million people in Tokyo pride themselves on: professionalism and respect.
For Tokyo native and Middle Tennessee men's tennis player Shu Matsuoka, his life both on and off the court is centered around those two values. And just like the business of Tokyo's streets, Matsuoka is always busy working on both his degree and his game.
"Honestly, I liked the way Tokyo was because I like to always have something to do," Matsuoka said. "I like being around a lot of people and having lots of tasks throughout the day. I've always liked from a young age having so many things to do and places to go."
That lifestyle defines his family. His father, Shuozo, was a successful professional tennis player and is a popular broadcasting personality not just in Tokyo, but all of Japan to this day. It took years of hard work and a willingness to be patient with people to achieve his status in life. No matter where they went growing up, Shu saw his father always take the time to stop and talk with people and offer a helpful piece of advice to help them in their own lives.
"I appreciate so much that my father accomplished so much in tennis," Matsuoka said. "I can ask him anything and he knows just as much if not more than a lot of the coaches I've had in my life."
While he doesn't play anymore, his father's professionalism and drive to be the best at what he does in the broadcast booth and as a media personality inspires his son to do the same.
"I'm very thankful for how (my father) raised me," Matsuoka said. "When we go anywhere in Japan, there's been many times when people stop him for a picture or some advice and he's very respectful. There are so many good things that people don't always see with him. He's so dedicated. There's so much value in what he says to people because he's been in many of their situations. He pushes himself to be professional in everything he does."
Shu's sister's, Emi and Megumi, are always supportive of him despite their own busy lifestyles and the different life that Shu lives as a college tennis player. They take great interest in his well-being, as he does with them. It's a shared mutual respect that the three have for one another.
HIs mother, Emiko, taught him the importance of respect, which also is woven into the culture of Tokyo and the Matsuoka family. Throughout life, Shu has learned to respect the people that have helped him get to where he is today and the process that it's taken him to get there.
"My mother taught me that it's so important to respect everyone," Matsuoka said. "There's been a time where I didn't like what one of my coaches was telling me to do growing up. My mom told me that he was trying to help me, and he was being harsh because he was pushing me to be better. That helped me learn a lot to always respect the people around me, because they are helping me to always get better."
Part of the process of getting to where he is today on the court began at Saddlebrook Prep down in Florida, where Shu attended High School and played tennis. Coming to America for the first time had its challenges, but overall was a great experience from the start for the now Blue Raider sophomore because of that universal language of professionalism and respect he learned in Tokyo. Both of those qualities helped him get through the struggle of adjusting to tennis in high school and drove him to continuously hone his craft.
Matsuoka's always been outgoing because he grew up around crowds of people in Tokyo and enjoyed that his school was full of international students. Even though he didn't know English all that well, he was able to communicate and make friends through tennis.
"My high school days made me more outgoing," Matsuoka said. "Being exposed to more people that were from all over the world helped it become easier to be friendly to people I was meeting for the first time. I made a lot of friends through tennis and it that helped me learn more of the English language and get help when I needed it."
The competition and drive are what made Matsuoka fall in love with tennis. As a kid, his father was initially against him going into tennis because he knew just how hard it was to truly succeed at it. The competitions that Matsuoka played in here in the United States drew further and further into the game and his dedication to treat every day as if he were a professional and to respect the grind that it takes to become one of the top players at his level.
Those qualities made it easy for him to take a liking to Coach Jimmy Borendame and the Middle Tennessee program. Matsuoka knew how beneficial Borendame and the Middle Tennessee coaching staff would be for his game because they immediately recognized his potential to become a great player. That in turn helped land the Tokyo native and he became part of the top mid-major signing class in the country in men's tennis in 2022.
"The first thing that brought me to MTSU was the coaches," Matsuoka said. "I talked to (Borendame) by phone, and he came down to meet me in Florida. He's very passionate about tennis and coaching and players growth. I felt like he could make me grow as a person and a player."
It didn't take long for the coaches to see that dedication to becoming the best at what Matsuoka does and the respect he has for not only the coaches, but his teammates.
Even as a freshman, he was a contributor to a team that won a fourth straight conference title and provided great depth playing on court six and working his way to a 4-2 record in singles play while also racking up six doubles wins last spring. This season, he is part of a talented group of sophomores that has the Blue Raiders off to another hot start.
"I'm so thankful for everyone and everything who's made me who I am today, but at the same time I feel like I haven't shown all I can do, yet," Matsuoka said. "I want to show the people who gave me the chance to be here how much more I can grow. I love to compete every day and I feel like there's so many people that have told me I have potential. Concentrating on the player I can become in the future will come with results and put me where I want to be in the future."
He isn't going to always be the loudest or the most outgoing, but you can bet that Matsuoka's hunger and willingness to accomplish those goals and turn them into check marks will make him a player to watch for years to come not just here at MTSU, but as he continues his career hopefully following in the footsteps of his father on the court at Wimbledon one day, or perhaps as a competitor in the Olympics as one of the next great tennis stars from Tokyo, Japan.
From its ultra-modern skyscrapers to some of the more traditional temples that have been around for ages, it's the perfect place to define Japanese culture. Behind that culture are two very important virtues that even the nearly 14 million people in Tokyo pride themselves on: professionalism and respect.
For Tokyo native and Middle Tennessee men's tennis player Shu Matsuoka, his life both on and off the court is centered around those two values. And just like the business of Tokyo's streets, Matsuoka is always busy working on both his degree and his game.
"Honestly, I liked the way Tokyo was because I like to always have something to do," Matsuoka said. "I like being around a lot of people and having lots of tasks throughout the day. I've always liked from a young age having so many things to do and places to go."
That lifestyle defines his family. His father, Shuozo, was a successful professional tennis player and is a popular broadcasting personality not just in Tokyo, but all of Japan to this day. It took years of hard work and a willingness to be patient with people to achieve his status in life. No matter where they went growing up, Shu saw his father always take the time to stop and talk with people and offer a helpful piece of advice to help them in their own lives.
"I appreciate so much that my father accomplished so much in tennis," Matsuoka said. "I can ask him anything and he knows just as much if not more than a lot of the coaches I've had in my life."
While he doesn't play anymore, his father's professionalism and drive to be the best at what he does in the broadcast booth and as a media personality inspires his son to do the same.
"I'm very thankful for how (my father) raised me," Matsuoka said. "When we go anywhere in Japan, there's been many times when people stop him for a picture or some advice and he's very respectful. There are so many good things that people don't always see with him. He's so dedicated. There's so much value in what he says to people because he's been in many of their situations. He pushes himself to be professional in everything he does."
Shu's sister's, Emi and Megumi, are always supportive of him despite their own busy lifestyles and the different life that Shu lives as a college tennis player. They take great interest in his well-being, as he does with them. It's a shared mutual respect that the three have for one another.
HIs mother, Emiko, taught him the importance of respect, which also is woven into the culture of Tokyo and the Matsuoka family. Throughout life, Shu has learned to respect the people that have helped him get to where he is today and the process that it's taken him to get there.
"My mother taught me that it's so important to respect everyone," Matsuoka said. "There's been a time where I didn't like what one of my coaches was telling me to do growing up. My mom told me that he was trying to help me, and he was being harsh because he was pushing me to be better. That helped me learn a lot to always respect the people around me, because they are helping me to always get better."
Part of the process of getting to where he is today on the court began at Saddlebrook Prep down in Florida, where Shu attended High School and played tennis. Coming to America for the first time had its challenges, but overall was a great experience from the start for the now Blue Raider sophomore because of that universal language of professionalism and respect he learned in Tokyo. Both of those qualities helped him get through the struggle of adjusting to tennis in high school and drove him to continuously hone his craft.
Matsuoka's always been outgoing because he grew up around crowds of people in Tokyo and enjoyed that his school was full of international students. Even though he didn't know English all that well, he was able to communicate and make friends through tennis.
"My high school days made me more outgoing," Matsuoka said. "Being exposed to more people that were from all over the world helped it become easier to be friendly to people I was meeting for the first time. I made a lot of friends through tennis and it that helped me learn more of the English language and get help when I needed it."
The competition and drive are what made Matsuoka fall in love with tennis. As a kid, his father was initially against him going into tennis because he knew just how hard it was to truly succeed at it. The competitions that Matsuoka played in here in the United States drew further and further into the game and his dedication to treat every day as if he were a professional and to respect the grind that it takes to become one of the top players at his level.
Those qualities made it easy for him to take a liking to Coach Jimmy Borendame and the Middle Tennessee program. Matsuoka knew how beneficial Borendame and the Middle Tennessee coaching staff would be for his game because they immediately recognized his potential to become a great player. That in turn helped land the Tokyo native and he became part of the top mid-major signing class in the country in men's tennis in 2022.
"The first thing that brought me to MTSU was the coaches," Matsuoka said. "I talked to (Borendame) by phone, and he came down to meet me in Florida. He's very passionate about tennis and coaching and players growth. I felt like he could make me grow as a person and a player."
It didn't take long for the coaches to see that dedication to becoming the best at what Matsuoka does and the respect he has for not only the coaches, but his teammates.
Even as a freshman, he was a contributor to a team that won a fourth straight conference title and provided great depth playing on court six and working his way to a 4-2 record in singles play while also racking up six doubles wins last spring. This season, he is part of a talented group of sophomores that has the Blue Raiders off to another hot start.
"I'm so thankful for everyone and everything who's made me who I am today, but at the same time I feel like I haven't shown all I can do, yet," Matsuoka said. "I want to show the people who gave me the chance to be here how much more I can grow. I love to compete every day and I feel like there's so many people that have told me I have potential. Concentrating on the player I can become in the future will come with results and put me where I want to be in the future."
He isn't going to always be the loudest or the most outgoing, but you can bet that Matsuoka's hunger and willingness to accomplish those goals and turn them into check marks will make him a player to watch for years to come not just here at MTSU, but as he continues his career hopefully following in the footsteps of his father on the court at Wimbledon one day, or perhaps as a competitor in the Olympics as one of the next great tennis stars from Tokyo, Japan.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
MTSU Tennis Pro-Am 9/6/25
Tuesday, September 09
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Men's Tennis NCAA Selection Show Watch Party on 04/28/25
Tuesday, April 29
MTSU Men's Tennis CUSA Championship vs Liberty Recap on 04/20/25
Wednesday, April 23
