One of the most prolific talents to emerge from the Southern California tennis landscape, Ena Shibahara is now proving to be one of the best players in the section’s history. The current No. 21 ranked doubles player in the world, Ena has carved out a profound legacy for herself in the sport at just the age of 26.

Shibahara’s ascent to the peak of professional tennis has been two decades in the making, with family influence as the primary factor to her entry and growth in the game. A Southern California native, Ena was born and raised in Rancho Palos Verdes alongside her two older brothers, Shuhei and Mizuki. With her parents wanting their children to be involved in athletics, the Shibahara brothers picked up multiple sports while Ena looked on from the sidelines as she was too young at the time to join. It was not until the age of six that Ena herself became involved in sports, and in doing so took up tennis due to the inspiration of hometown legends Pete Sampras, Tracy Austin, and Lindsay Davenport. Under the guidance of her father and brothers, Ena quickly connected with the sport and has not put the racquet down ever since. 

“I remember my dad feeding me balls for the first time,” Ena mentioned. “I struggled a bit in the beginning but after a couple minutes, I was able to hit the ball clean into the court for the first time and I completely fell in love with that feeling. It felt so powerful, and it made me feel so strong. I was hooked and chased after that feeling every time.”

Family is more important now than ever before in Shibahara’s tennis journey, as she has received coaching from her father and both of her brothers at various times during her professional career. With all three possessing a background of their own playing tennis, Ena has been able to learn from and train with those she admires and trusts to elevate her game. 

“My oldest brother, Mizuki, started playing tennis at the same time as me and my other brother Shuhei, so he was a bit older when he started playing and stopped when entering college. He is my strength and conditioning coach now and is based in Japan,” Shibahara stated. “My older brother, Shuhei, played college tennis at UC Irvine and was my touring coach for two years, but now only works with me while I am back home in California. Overall, my family has been and still is a big part of my tennis career. They have been very supportive ever since I told them I wanted to become a professional tennis player when I was six years old. My dad has always been my coach and is now touring with me on the road.” 

Before her glory days playing professionally, Shibahara shined in high school, on the SoCal junior circuit and in college. A top player in all the nation, Shibahara racked up almost every accolade possible during her days at Peninsula High School. Among her numerous accomplishments, Ena led her team to clinch the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 title in 2014 and earned the title of Southern California High School Female Player of the Year in both 2014 and 2015. With an impressive track record, she claimed the CIF Southern Section Girls Tennis Singles Championship three years in a row from 2013 to 2015, and was a finalist in both singles and doubles in 2012. Shibahara’s dominance extended beyond individual play, as she contributed to Peninsula’s success, helping secure three consecutive CIF Southern Section Championships Division 1 Girls Tennis Team titles from 2013 to 2015. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in her team’s victories at the Girls CIF-USTA SoCal Regional Team Tennis Championships for three consecutive years (2013-2015). Her achievements earned her further distinction as a four-time Daily Breeze Girls Tennis Player of the Year and Palos Verdes Peninsula MVP from 2012 to 2015.

From her early years on court through high school, Shibahara was a mainstay within the SoCal junior tennis scene, competing in and winning a copious amount of tournaments throughout her junior career. Spanning from 2005 to 2016, Shibahara competed in over 300 events and amassed a formidable winning percentage of 77% across more than 1000 matches played. Throughout her junior career, she clinched over 100 championships, with some of her most significant victories coming in 2015 and 2016. Notable triumphs include winning the U.S. Open Junior Tennis Championships and the USTA National Championships in the Girls’ 18s alongside Jada Hart in 2016, as well as securing the USTA International Spring Championships with Hurricane Tyra Black. In 2015, she added to her accolades by winning the USTA National Winter Championships in the Girls’ 18s alongside Annete Goulak and going undefeated at the USTA Girls’ 18 National Team Championships, securing a victory for Team SoCal. Further successes include her countless victories at the Southern California Junior Sectional Championships and her win at the USTA International Spring Championships with Caroline Doelhide. A stepping stone in her career, junior tennis showcased Ena’s competitive spirit all while fine tuning her skills against and preparing her for the next step in her athletic career. 

“I think that junior tennis in SoCal was very competitive which really helped shape my game and career,” added Shibahara. “There was great competition and every weekend I played in a tournament and learned something new to work on during the week. This was very motivating for me as I would get excited to get onto the court and improve every day. The team events in junior tennis and being in a team atmosphere of high school tennis helped me prepare for my collegiate career. The pressure of playing for a team is different and it is something you must get used to. I personally always loved playing for a team and liked the feeling of being cheered on by my teammates. I thrive off that energy and this is why I always enjoyed playing in team events growing up.”

Capping off her junior career, Shibahara was awarded the Evelyn Houseman Lifetime Junior Sportsmanship Award in 2015. This achievement given by USTA Southern California honored her commitment to being an exemplary sportsperson while also recognizing her as an elite competitor. With values of camaraderie and honesty rooted in her at a young age, Ena was a no-brainer to be selected for this achievement. 

“Growing up, my mom was always adamant about having good sportsmanship and having respect for everyone including my opponents,” shared Shibahara. “So even at tournaments, I made sure that I would treat everyone the way I would want to be treated. It was such an honor being awarded this award. There were so many amazing players being given this prestigious award and I looked up to them as my role models of good sportsmanship. It was such a great achievement for me, and I was very proud of myself for this.”

As high school and junior tennis came to a close, Shibahara had built herself a beyond stellar resume, one that would earn her the designation as the top prospect in the state of California. Ready to take the next step,  Shibahara committed to play tennis at UCLA, a team that at the time was fresh off back to back appearances in the National Championship with a title to boot. Just an hour drive north, Shibahara found her new home away from home. For the next few years, Ena represented the Bruins as a top player in all of college tennis and would establish herself as one of the most preeminent players in the history of the Pac-12.

Shibahara’s dominance quickly transferred over to the collegiate level, as she would put the entire tennis landscape on notice during her freshman season in Westwood. Amassing a singles record of 40-7 (18-3 in dual matches)  and a doubles record of 25-6 (18-2 in dual matches), Shibahara finished her season ranked No. 4 and No. 19 in the Oracle/ITA rankings in singles and doubles play respectively. These stats led her to be named an ITA All-American for singles play, the ITA National Rookie of the Year, and the ITA Southwest Region Rookie of the Year. Within the Pac-12, she claimed both Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year and Pac-12 Newcomer/Freshman of the Year titles, along with First-Team All-Pac-12 honors. Ena then followed that stellar season with a sophomore campaign for the ages, repeating as the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year. This distinction was just the second time a Bruin had ever been repeat winner of the award, and just the fourth time there was a repeat winner in the conference. Additionally, she was once again named an ITA Singles All-American while also being honored as the 2018 ITA Southwest Region Player to Watch. Speaking of her time at UCLA, Ena discussed how she learned valuable life lessons while also discovering ways to enhance her game at such a high level. 

“I had a great experience playing at UCLA,” Ena said. “As always, there were some ups and downs, but I learned so much about myself and really grew as a person. Most importantly, I learned how to be more independent and be able to take care of myself without relying on the help of others too much. I especially loved my teammates, some of whom are my closest friends now. I also learned a lot from my coaches which made it a very valuable experience for me.”

Following two years donning the blue and gold, Ena made the leap to professional tennis in 2018, hitting the ground running on the WTA tour. Specializing in doubles for the majority of her professional career, Shibahara has found success at the highest level. Teaming up with Shuko Aoyama in 2019, Ena captured her first two tour titles in Tianjin and Moscow. Just a year later, Shibahara would fulfill a lifelong dream, playing in the Olympics. Changing her flag from the United States to Japan when she turned pro, Shibahara honored her family on the world’s grandest stage in Tokyo. 

“It was one of my grandparents’ wishes that I play the Tokyo Olympics representing Japan,” she commented. “It definitely was a tough decision after representing the U.S. throughout my junior and college years, but in the end I was happy with my decision.”

A year riddled with COVID provided an interesting experience for Shibahara in the Olympics, as no spectators were able to be present. Nonetheless, she made the most of the once in a lifetime opportunity, living out a childhood dream while representing her home country. 

“After turning pro, I only had a year and a half to become eligible and have a high enough ranking to play the Olympics, so it was truly a surreal experience to qualify. It was a special experience being in the Olympic Village and being surrounded by so many incredible athletes from all around the world. Walking out at the opening ceremony was one of my dreams when I was younger so it is something that I will always remember.”

Of her now ten doubles titles on tour, Ena’s most prolific victory came in 2022 when she took home the Mixed Doubles Championship at the French Open with Wesley Koolof. First time partners, the duo was formed through social media as Koolof reached out through an Instagram direct message. Closing out her first ever Grand Slam title, Shibahara clinched the victory with a match-sealing ace that she will never forget. This illustrious milestone was not only significant for Shibahara, but also for her country of Japan. With this win, Shibahara became Japan’s first Mixed Doubles Champion at Roland-Garros since Rika Hiraki in 1997. 

“This victory was very special for me, especially since it was my first Grand Slam title,” discussed Shibahara. “Ever since I was little, I have always loved playing mixed doubles. Growing up playing tennis with my two brothers, it had sparked a lot of competitive fire in me to defeat them. It was of course a big challenge since they were a lot older and stronger than me, but I would always hate losing to them. Every time I would even win a point against them, I felt this satisfaction and achievement that was like no other. Because of these memories, every time I play against a guy, I imagine playing against my brothers and chasing after that feeling of beating them.” 

While Shibahara credits her passion for mixed doubles to her family, she also dedicated this victory to them, as it was a dream of her fathers for Ena and her brother to one day be Grand Slam Champions together. 

“My brother and I played in the qualifying sectionals events, won it twice, and had the chance to play the qualifying event,” she stated. “Unfortunately as my brother did not pursue tennis as his career, I had to find another partner. This win however also made me feel like I won this title for the both of us and was still able to sort of fulfill one of my dad’s dreams.”

Additional highlights to Shibahara’s professional career include being women’s doubles finalists at both the BNP Paribas Open (2022) and the Australian Open (2023) as well as a WTA 125K series title in her home state of California (2019). A more than accomplished doubles player, Shibahara has now shifted her focus towards singles play. While still intending on playing Grand Slams and some bigger WTA events to keep her ranking in doubles, Ena is preparing for her schedule to comprise of 75% singles play and 25% doubles. 

“As of now, my goal is to get my singles ranking up high enough so that I can go back on the WTA Tour and play both singles and doubles,” Shibahara mentioned as the reasoning behind her decision. “Ever since I started playing tennis, my goals were to become No. 1 in both singles and doubles, so I wanted to give myself the opportunity to make that happen. It was definitely hard to step away from the comfort of being on the WTA Tour, but I know I will be back there soon, this time as a singles player.”

With just about a third of this year in the books, Shibahara has continued to make a name for herself, taking home her first Pro Circuit championship in singles. Defeating fellow Southern California native Iva Jovic, Shibahara claimed the W35 title this March in Texas. A monumental win, this victory thrusted her into the Top 400 of the WTA singles ranks for the first time in her career. 

Most recently in doubles, Shibahara competed once again at the BNP Paribas Open alongside Asia Muhammad, where they would defeat some of the top talent across the globe en route to a semifinals appearance. This appearance marked the fourth consecutive time in her career she has reached the semifinals of the event. Then in mid-April, Ena represented Japan in the Billie Jean King Cup for the second time in her career, helping her squad qualify for the finals that will take place in Seville this November. 

Taking every opportunity on court to learn, Shibahara has found success throughout her career in being patient and trusting the process. With plenty of tennis still yet to be played and many more memories to be created, the future remains extremely bright for the Ranchos Palos Verdes native.