A rapid transition from Hawaiʻi tennis to the professional tour
Kunimoto grew up in Hilo and developed her competitive foundation in tennis. Her father, a tennis and pickleball instructor, introduced her to pickleball recreationally when she was younger, but her first organized pickleball tournament did not come until January 2025.
She paused tournament pickleball to finish her high-school tennis season, won the 2025 Hawaiʻi girls’ singles championship for Waiākea High School and graduated in May. Kunimoto chose professional pickleball instead of college tennis, entered her first pro event in June and began training more seriously later that year.
Why has Kiora Kunimoto risen so quickly in singles?
Kunimoto’s tennis-developed movement, groundstroke production and one-on-one point construction translated quickly to professional singles. Those skills also give Bay Area a dangerous DreamBreaker option in Major League Pickleball.