Etsuko Inoue

Etsuko Inoue was a Japanese professional tennis player who achieved a career-best singles ranking of 26 in the world in March 1988, and a doubles ranking of 34 in the world in February 1987.

At the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi Inoue won gold in the singles, silver in the mixed doubles, and bronze in the doubles and team events. The following year she won her first WTA singles title with a straight sets victory over Shelley Solomon of the United States at the Japan Open. Her second and final WTA title came in 1984 at the Borden Classic, Tokyo, with a win against Beth Herr. Her best Grand Slam performance came in the doubles at the 1987 Australian Open where she and Patricia Hy-Boulais reached the semi-finals.

Inoue competed in the singles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when tennis was a demonstration sport, where she lost in straight sets in the first round to the tournament’s eventual winner Steffi Graf. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics she played in the singles but again lost her first round match, this time to Kim Il-Sun of South Korea. She teamed with Kumiko Okamoto in the doubles where they reached the quarter-finals.