Jiro Sato

Who was Jiro Sato?

Jiro Sato was a Japanese tennis player. He was ranked World No. 3 in 1933, but committed suicide in the Strait of Malacca during his trip to the Davis Cup in 1934.

French Championships: Singles semifinalist 1931 and 1933

Wimbledon: Singles semifinalist 1932 and 1933, Men's Doubles finalist 1933

Australian Championships: Singles semifinalist, Mixed doubles finalist, both in 1932

He received worldwide fame in Wimbledon 1932, when he beat the defending champion Sidney Wood at the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, he lost to Henry Austin. His peak came in 1933, when he beat Fred Perry in the French Open quarterfinal. He was ranked World No. 3 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph. However, it got more and more difficult for him to endure the enormous pressure from Japan. It is believed that pressure drove him to throw himself overboard into the Strait of Malacca on April 5, 1934, at 26 years of age.