This season gave me two very different first-time experiences: my first trip to the mainland United States and my first visit to the Baltic States.
In February, I traveled to Miami, where the weather felt like midsummer. Then in March, I competed in Latvia, where the temperature was even colder than midwinter in Japan.

Being in the United States made me realize just how vast the country is. Miami was even hotter than I had expected, and the humidity felt stronger than in Europe. During the tournament, I was able to play my style of tennis and produce some performances I was satisfied with. However, one challenge remained — my body couldn’t fully adapt to the sudden heat.

Traveling for tournaments is often a battle of adaptation. Even as the level of competition rises, this is something that will always follow a player. As long as I continue playing tennis and traveling on tour, this cycle will repeat itself year after year. I need to become a player who can compete through all of those conditions.

Latvia was the complete opposite. Even in March, the temperature dropped below freezing. It reminded me again how wide and diverse the world really is.
There, I had to face another player from the same academy during the qualifying rounds. Mentally, I couldn’t bring myself into the best competitive state, and it became another difficult lesson.

But even that defeat gave me something valuable — a clue toward solving one of my challenges. This is the kind of progress that only comes through real experience. True growth only exists beyond the comfortable zone we are used to. Reaching it often comes with struggle, and sometimes loneliness as well. But it is something that must be overcome.

I believe that halfway steps outside the comfort zone only lead to halfway growth. That is why I want to keep pushing myself, choosing the right environment, and continuing this journey of improvement.