Biography of Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka (born October 16, 1997) was born in Osaka, Japan. She is a Japanese tennis player, naturalized American. Osaka is the first Japanese person to win a Grand Slam, a title she first obtained in 2018 against one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Serena Williams. Shortly after, she established herself as one of the most prominent emerging figures by winning the Australian Open 2019, a victory that propelled her to the world No. 1 ranking. Osaka’s successful career began in the early 2010s, when she made her way on the WTA Tour with the West Classic Bank. Over time, she reached the Open where she stood out among figures such as Angelique Kerber. By 2017, she was already seen as one of the most promising tennis players, and even began to be called the “Japanese Serena” due to her agility and strength on the court.

Family and beginnings

Born into a Haitian family residing in Japan, her father Leonard Francois is Haitian and her mother Takami Osaka is from Japan. When they met in Sapporo, they fell in love quickly, but this union did not have the support of Takami’s family. After an attempted arranged marriage, the two fled, and years later they had their first daughter, Mari Osaka, who is also Naomi’s older sister and has excelled in the world of sports as a tennis player. Two years later, Naomi Osaka was born.

Three years after Naomi’s birth, the family moved to the United States, settling in New York City, where some of her father’s relatives lived. In New York, Osaka spent her childhood and it was then that she became interested in tennis, a practice that was supported by her family. On various occasions, she practiced with her sister, whom she saw as a strong opponent on the court.

In 2005, the Osaka Francois family moved to Florida, a state with a strong presence in the world of tennis. The idea of moving was driven by young Naomi, who hoped to begin her training as a tennis player and was seriously considering tennis as a profession, it was her dream. In Florida, she attended a tennis academy where she took her first steps as an aspiring player. During this training period, she continued to practice with her sister, a practice encouraged by her father, who wanted them to learn about discipline and healthy competitiveness.

After several years of learning, she began to participate in professional tournaments, using her Japanese passport, as this would allow her to excel in Japanese tennis, which is not as developed as the American one.

Professional career of Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka made her debut as a tennis player on the WTA Tour in the 2014 West Classic Bank. In this tournament, she stood out as a new player, passed the qualification round and shortly after entered the main draw, after defeating players Alla Kudryavtseva and Petra Martić. The following year, she participated in the 2015 WTA, a tournament that she quickly dominated by winning the Stars Invitational Rising tournament title. At that time, she began to be seen as one of the emerging stars in the world of tennis.

Two years later, after an excellent campaign, she made her way into the 2017 US Open. During the first round of the tournament, she defeated Angelique Kerber, former world number one, with a score of 6-3 and 6-1. The following year, Osaka entered the competitions with strength, achieving her first victory in March 2018, after defeating Russian player Daria Kasatkina in the Indian Wells Tournament final. During the match, the Japanese player imposed herself on her opponent, dominating the encounter with a 6-3 and 6-2 score.

Soon after, Naomi Osaka continued her excellent campaign in the final of the 2018 US Open, facing six-time US Open winner, Serena Williams. During the match, the talent of the Japanese player stood out, obtaining a score of 6-2 and 6-4. With this victory, she obtained her first Grand Slam, becoming the first person (woman and man) of Japanese origin to win a Grand Slam title.

After the success of the Grand Slam, she continued to achieve successes. In January 2019, she obtained her second Grand Slam title by defeating Czech player Petra Kvitova with a score of 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 in the 2019 Australian Open. With this victory, she not only consolidated herself as one of the most relevant Japanese players in the history of tennis, but also occupied the world’s number 1 spot for the first time.

Absence and pregnancy (2023)

In January 2023, Naomi Osaka announced to the world her pregnancy, confirming that her return to the courts would be in 2024. This news was shared on January 12, 2023 on her social media platforms through a photo of an ultrasound and messages in Japanese and English.

“I know I have a lot to look forward to in the future, one thing I am eagerly looking forward to is my child seeing one of my matches and telling someone, ‘that’s my mom’, haha,” wrote Osaka.

In recent years, she withdrew from key events because she needed time away from the spotlight due to her battles with mental health issues that she herself announced.