Haruka Kaju (JPN), the only player in the IJF World Rankings who has never been defeated in any IJF event, will be competing at the upcoming Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam.
We last saw Kaju in action at the 2026 Tbilisi Grand Slam, where she managed to maintain her undefeated streak since her very first IJF event at the 2024 Tokyo Grand Slam, where she was the unexpected winner. Up to that point, nobody outside Japan had ever even heard of her.
In Ulaanbaatar, the top players who will be challenging Kaju include two home favorites: Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo and Gankaich Bold. Both of them will be motivated to defeat Kaju on home ground. But Kaju has beaten both of them before.
Other top players who are looking to challenge her are Joanne Van Lieshout (NED), Iva Oberan (CRO) and Manon Deketer (FRA). And, yes, Kaju has beaten all of them too.
Odds are Kaju will emerge victor in Ulaanbaatar.
Some observers say Kaju relies too much on newaza and the key to beating her could be to throw her for ippon.
But a closer examination reveals that Kaju is in fact, no slouch in the throwing department. In fact, she had beaten those two Mongolian players in past events by throwing them.
Kaju’s also shown the ability and willingness to fight tactically, when necessary. In short, she's a very well-rounded player.
All this means it will be an uphill climb for anyone who wants to break her perfect record of being undefeated since her debut on the world stage.
