In 1992, Matsuoka became the first Japanese player to win a singles event on the ATP Tour when he captured the title in Seoul.

He was also runner-up at the prestigious grass court tournament at Queen's Club that year, beating Goran Ivanisevic and world no.

Unsurprisingly, as a skilled grass-court player, Matsuoka's best performance at a Grand Slam event came at Wimbledon in 1995, where he reached the quarter-finals, beating Karel Nováček, Mark Knowles, Javier Frana and Michael Joyce before being knocked out by Pete Sampras.

The incident led to a change in the rules of professional tennis to allow players to receive medical treatment during matches.

Known for his passionate and energetic character, Matsuoka has also appeared in numerous variety programs, as well as in a cameo role for a television drama series.

Since 2006, Matsuoka has been releasing a web series of motivational videos called For you (こんなあなたに･･･, Konna Anata ni...), shot at locations he visits for work.

These videos have become popular with both Japanese and Western internet users, accumulating millions of views and being edited in the form of MADs or having uplifting music added to them.

In one of his most well-known videos, Matsuoka is harvesting Asian clams in the water at −10 °C and he shouts "Never give up" in English.