Tatsunori Otsuka, one of the greatest talents in Japanese volleyball and an outside hitter for the national team, underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in early July. The intervention was necessary due to a loose body in the joint, which had been causing him problems in recent weeks. According to official information from the Japanese Volleyball Federation, the operation proceeded without complications and the 23-year-old player's rehabilitation has already begun.

Otsuka, who plays for Allianz Milano in the Italian SuperLega, impressed in the first two weekends of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), where he recorded a total of 76 points and was one of the leaders of the "Samurai." Only in the match against Bulgaria at the beginning of the second week of the tournament in Burgas was the Japanese player not in form, scoring just 3 points. Expectations are that he will be able to recover in time for the World Championship, which will be held in September in Manila, Philippines. There, his role will be crucial for Japan's ambitions to contend for a medal.