Shohei Ohtani may be the highest paid MLB player and world famous, but he still prefers to keep his private life private.
The Los Angeles Dodgers player confirmed that he married in February 2024, although he did not reveal the identity of his wife at the time. Two weeks later, he was photographed with Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, leading fans to speculate that she was his mystery wife.
Shohei Ohtani shares the first photo of his new wife Mamiko Tanaka — and she’s a former basketball star!
“Not only did I start a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers, but I also started a new life with someone from my home country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know that I am now married,” he said. she wrote in a post on Instagram.
“I’m excited for what’s to come and thank you for your support,” he continued.
So who is Shohei Ohtani’s wife? Here’s everything you need to know about Mamiko Tanaka and her relationship with the athlete.
She was a professional basketball player in Japan
Mamiko Tanaka during the final match of the 29th Summer Universiade 2017 in Taipei between Australia on August 28, 2017.
MATSUO.K/AFLO SPORT/Alamy
Tanaka, who was born on December 11, 1996, is a former Japanese basketball player.
She began her career playing for Waseeda University before turning professional in 2019 with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women’s Japan Basketball League. The 5-foot-11 forward played for the team for four years before retiring in 2023.
In her final season in 2023, Tanaka shot 47.7% from the field and 69.9% from the free throw line in 28 games, according to ESPN.
During a press conference following the wedding announcement, Ohtani called Tanaka “a normal Japanese woman.”
He announced that they were married in February 2024
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Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka walk with security during the Dodgers’ arrival at Incheon International Airport on March 15, 2024 ahead of the team’s baseball series against the San Diego Padres.
Lee Jin-man/AP
Ohtani announced that he was married in an Instagram post in February 2024. Although the caption was written in English, he also wrote a message in Japanese to his fans.
According to a translation by the Associated Press and CNN, the baseball player asked the press not to seek more information about his wife from his family and friends.
“The season is approaching, I am happy to announce that I am married,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese, according to CNN.
“We are still young and [there are] we don’t know many things yet, but we hope that you will keep us warm,” he continued. “Hopefully the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward together with our fans.”
“I’m not really comfortable talking about when exactly I got married,” he added, per TIME, saying he felt it was a “good time” to share the news, since the season was early.
Two weeks later, they debuted on social media
Just two weeks after announcing he was married, Ohtani posed with Tanaka and their translators as they boarded a plane for Seoul, South Korea, where the Dodgers were scheduled to play.
The team posted a photo of the two on x (formerly known as Twitter) alongside another photo of Ohtani’s teammate Mookie Betts and his wife Brianna Hammonds.
“Wheels on for Seoul,” the post captioned, tagging Tanaka as Ohtani’s wife in the photo’s alt text.
Ohtani also posted a photo of himself alongside fellow Dodger Yoshinobu Yamamoto and some team translators on his Instagram Story.
“I can not wait!” he captioned the image with a South Korean flag emoticon.
She supports his career
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Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka arrive at Incheon Airport on March 15, 2024 ahead of the first of a two-game series against the San Diego Padres.
Kyodo/AP
Upon landing in Seoul, where Ohtani and the Dodgers were scheduled to play their season opener against the San Diego Padres, Tanaka and the athlete were greeted by a sea of fans. The two walked together from the plane to the waiting limo, Ohtani dressed in a black tracksuit and cap, while Tanaka wore an all-black suit.
Ohtani gave a brief wave to his fans as Tanaka smiled as she walked a few paces behind him, the Associated Press reports.
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Source: HIS Education