Sansan Inc., whose mission is to "Create innovation from encounters," is pleased to announce that Nasa Hatakeyama and Kei Sawaki, athletes supported by our company, have signed professional contracts with the PPA Tour (The Professional Pickleball Association Tour), the world's premier professional pickleball tour. ■Background and Significance of the Players' Professional Contracts Both players have accumulated achievements in international competitions as first-term members of "Pickleball X," a global top pro development project fully sponsored by Sansan. Signing professional contracts with the PPA marks a significant milestone for them as they aim for the top of the world stage as Japanese athletes. Sansan aims to increase its global presence as a business infrastructure, with its mission to "Create innovation from encounters." The success of Sansan-supported athletes on the world's highest stage and the global spread of their names not only contribute to the development of the sport but also serve to promote the Sansan brand internationally. Based on the idea that new encounters and connections through sports can be a source of innovation in business, Sansan will continue to support the athletes' competitive activities and jointly promote the improvement of pickleball competitiveness in Japan and the global expansion of the brand. ■Player Profiles and Comments Nasa Hatakeyama Born in Hokkaido, 29 years old. Began playing tennis in childhood, achieving two national championships in junior categories. Was runner-up in the Inter-High School Championships during high school and won the Intercollegiate Championships twice in university. In his first year as a working professional, he took up padel and was selected for the Japanese national team within just one year, later becoming the captain of the national team. He won the All Japan Championships three times and was selected for the Japanese national padel team for the 2026 Asian Games. Encountered pickleball in the