Online fraud: Japanese tennis legend arrested

During her prime, this tennis star—though barely reaching 1m60 in height—commanded admiration from many due to her exceptional skills.

Former Japanese tennis player Rika Hiraki, a mixed doubles champion at Roland Garros in 1997, has been arrested by police in Kochi Prefecture on suspicion of involvement in an online fraud case that occurred four years ago.

According to investigative sources, a woman in Japan was tricked into transferring 300,000 yen (approximately 48 million VND) on May 30, 2022. The fraudster is believed to have impersonated a plastic surgeon working at a hospital in Paris, France. The scammer claimed he needed money to complete paperwork to reclaim his deceased wife's assets, which were being held by customs after being shipped to Japan.

Police reported that on the same day the victim transferred the money, surveillance cameras captured an individual identified as Hiraki withdrawing funds from a bank account in her name. Kyodo News, citing investigative sources, said authorities are also looking into other cases where suspicious transfers were made to the same account.

Investigators uncovered the case while dismantling another fraud scheme unrelated to this incident. According to prosecutors, about 270,000 yen was later moved to a cryptocurrency account before being further transferred elsewhere. That cryptocurrency account was also registered under Hiraki's name.

Now 54 years old, Hiraki denies any involvement in the fraudulent activity. Speaking to police, the former tennis player said she "doesn't recall anything about the case".

Rika Hiraki was one of Japan's top tennis stars, achieving impressive results in the 1990s. Together with Mahesh Bhupathi, she won the mixed doubles title at Roland Garros in 1997, becoming the first Japanese player in more than 20 years to claim a Grand Slam title.

During her career, Hiraki reached a world ranking of No. 72 in singles and No. 26 in doubles. She won a total of six WTA Tour titles, all in doubles, between 1991 and 1997. At the Australian Open, she reached the third round in singles for three consecutive years.

After retiring, Hiraki stepped away from professional tennis. According to information in the investigation file, she now works as an office employee in Shiroi City, Chiba Prefecture.