Since the day Shohei Ohtani announced that he was a married man – the world has asked just one question – “Who is the lucky lady?” ‘Shotime’ did everything in his power to hide her identity till now. Even though some of the great moments of their relationship had been revealed, one still wondered who his wife was. All they knew was that she was a “normal Japanese woman.”

Then came Ohtani’s Instagram story and there she was – Mamiko Tanaka! The Japanese Basketball player. To their credit, many of Ohtani’s fans had already guessed that Tanaka was the one. Call it their detective skills or Ohtani leaving the hints, the fans felt that something was brewing between the two. But the bigger question is – who is Mamiko Tanaka and what do we need to know about her?

Mamiko Tanaka – the basketball player that won Shohei Ohtani’s heart 

Mamiko Tanaka, also known as Mana, was born on December 11, 1996. Ohtani revealed in an interview earlier that his wife was two years younger than him. That was the first hint he gave about Tanaka. Then on his Instagram, Ohtani posted a group photo of him and his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto standing in front of an airplane. In the photo, Ohtani was spotted standing next to a woman who identified as Mamiko Tanaka.

He captioned the photo, “Can’t wait!” along with an emoji of the South Korean flag, as the group was en route to Seoul for the MLB’s season opener next week. Meanwhile, a post on the Dodgers’ X account featured couple shots of Ohtani and Tanaka and teammate Mookie Betts and his wife on the tarmac, with captions on the photo of Ohtani and Tanaka labeling Tanaka as “his wife.”

The 27-year-old is a former basketball player. She played as a center for Waseeda University, Tokyo Seitoku University, and the Fujitsu Red Wave from 2019 to 2023. Tanaka’s talent was good for her to try out for Japan’s National team in August 2021. She even played in big tournaments like the Universiade and has shown her abilities on an international stage.

However, Tanaka chose to step away from basketball in 2023. That started the speculations as fans wondered why she made such a decision. While personally not much is known about her, she’s known for her fun personality. Maybe that’s what attracted Ohtani to her.

Ohtani revealed on Feb. 29 that he was married, but did not provide his wife’s name. Instead, the 29-year-old said, “Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” 

How did the couple first meet? 

‘Shotime’ had earlier mentioned that he saw Tanaka during his training session. The two met each other multiple times in a short period and got into a relationship. Gradually, Ohtani started enjoying her fun-loving personality. Though Tanaka didn’t join him in the States during the regular season in 2023, the two remained in touch throughout that time.

Earlier in the Spring Training, there had been speculations that Tanaka was the one. One of the reasons was a picture that began circulating of a mystery woman in the Dodgers facilities. Fans were quick to point out that it looked like Tanaka. However, there was no way to confirm it. Now, after Ohtani’s story, it looks like they were right.

With Ohtani finally revealing his wife – one of the biggest mysteries of baseball has now ended. Still, there’s a lot to know about Tanaka that will keep the fans busy for a long time.

Read more: Shohei Ohtani Opens Up on His Wife, Reveals Hidden Details Behind His Surprise Marriage