Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani announced he was married in February 2024

Shohei Ohtani during the Los Angeles Dodgers Photo Day at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. ; Mamiko Tanaka during The 29th Summer Universiade 2017 Taipei Final match on August 28, 2017. PHOTO: MARY DECICCO/MLB PHOTOS/GETTY ; MATSUO.K/AFLO SPORT/ALAMY

Shohei Ohtani may be the highest-paid MLB player and world-famous, but he still prefers to keep his personal life private.

The Los Angeles Dodgers player confirmed he got married in February 2024, though he did not reveal his wife’s identity at the time. Two weeks later, he posed for a photo with Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, leading fans to speculate she was his mystery wife.

“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,” he wrote in an announcement on Instagram.

“I am excited for what is come and thank you for your support,” he continued.

The couple occasionally attend events together and made a rare appearance at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala in May 2024, where they posed for a photo with Ed Sheeran.

So who is Shohei Ohtani’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Mamiko Tanaka and her relationship with the athlete.

She was a professional basketball player in Japan

Mamiko Tanaka during the 29th Summer Universiade 2017 Taipei Final match between Australia on August 28, 2017.MATSUO.K/AFLO SPORT/ALAMY

Tanaka, who was born on Dec. 11, 1996, is a former Japanese basketball player.

She started her career playing for Waseeda University before going professional in 2019 with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women’s Japan Basketball League. The 5-foot-11 forward played for the team for four years before retiring in 2023.

In 2023, her last season, Tanaka had a shooting rate of 47.7% from the field and 69.9% from the free throw line across 28 games, per ESPN.

During a press conference after his marriage announcement, Ohtani called Tanaka a “normal Japanese woman.”

He announced that they got married in February 2024

Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka walk with security during the Dodgers’ arrival at Incheon International Airport on March 15, 2024 ahead of the team’s baseball series against the San Diego Padres.LEE JIN-MAN/AP

Ohtani announced that he got married in an Instagram post in February 2024. While the caption was written in English, he also wrote a message in Japanese to his fans.

According to a translation by the Associated Press and CNN, the baseball player asked the press not to reach out to his family and friends for more information about his wife.

“The season is approaching, I am pleased to announce to you that I have gotten married,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese, as reported by CNN.

“We are still young and [there are] many things we don’t know yet, but we hope you will warmly watch over us,” he continued. “We hope that the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward alongside with our fans.”

“I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly,” he added, per TIME, sharing that he felt it was “good timing” to share the news then, however, since the season was starting.

They made their social media debut two weeks later

Just two weeks after he announced he was married, Ohtani posed with Tanaka and their translators as they boarded a plane to Seoul, South Korea, where the Dodgers were set to play.

The team posted a photo of the two of them on X (formerly known as Twitter) alongside another photo of Ohtani’s teammate Mookie Betts and his wife Brianna Hammonds.

“Wheels up to Seoul,” they captioned the post, labeling Tanaka as Ohtani’s wife in the alt text of the photo.

Ohtani also posted a photo of himself alongside fellow Dodger Yoshinobu Yamamoto and some team interpreters on his Instagram Story.

“Can’t wait!” he captioned the image, paired with an emoji of the South Korean flag.

She supports his career

Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka arrive at Incheon airport on March 15, 2024 ahead of the two-game, season-opening series against the San Diego Padres.KYODO/AP

Upon landing in Seoul, where Ohtani and the Dodgers were set to play their season opener against the San Diego Padres, Tanaka and the athlete were greeted by a sea of fans. The two walked together from the plane to their waiting limousine, Ohtani dressed in a black training suit and cap while Tanaka sported an all-black outfit.

Ohtani briefly waved to his fans while Tanaka smiled as she walked a few steps behind him, per the Associated Press.