News: Naomi Osaka — one of the most successful tennis players of her generation
4 september 2025 в 18:37
Naomi Osaka has established herself as one of the most talented tennis players of her generation. She made history by defeating the retired tennis legend Serena Williams and winning the US Open 2018, after which she went on to win four Grand Slam titles and became the first Asian player to hold the number one ranking in the world. However, even at the peak of her career, Osaka showed that she knows how to prioritize her well-being.
Naomi’s father, Leonard Francois, is from Haiti, while Tamaki Osaka is Japanese. They met in Japan when Tamaki was a high school student and Leonard was in college, as reported by Marie Claire. They started dating and kept it a secret for many years, knowing that Tamaki’s family would not approve of their relationship. Unfortunately, their fears were realized: when the family found out about their romance, they did not speak to her for about five years.
Tamaki gave birth to Mari Osaka in 1996 and Naomi in 1997, while they were living in Japan. They later moved to Long Island, New York in 2000, where Francois' relatives lived. Since then, they have moved to Florida, although it seems that their true home is Naomi’s fans in the stands.
According to Naomi’s father himself, he always planned to raise advanced tennis players and admitted that he drew inspiration from the father of the Williams sisters, Richard Williams, who was their coach in childhood. «The plan was already there», - Leonard told The New York Times in 2018. «I just had to follow it». While Naomi is still in the game, her older sister retired in 2021.
Although Leonard never received formal tennis training, he apparently enjoys giving his daughter words of wisdom during matches. «Yes, he’s so annoying. Oh my God. Do you hear him on the court? I can’t believe it. He runs to the bench and says, 'Be calm.' That’s it. He doesn’t give me any tactical advice. I can’t believe it. I was so mad», - Osaka joked in a 2019 interview, as reported by Tennis World. At the time, she had just ended her partnership with her former coach Jermaine Jenkins.
Naomi renounced her American citizenship to play for Japan at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Her strong identity as an Asian woman is a goal that her Japanese mother has pursued since the star’s birth. «We decided that Naomi would represent Japan from an early age», - Tamaki recalled in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2018. «She was born in Osaka and grew up in a family of mixed Japanese-Haitian culture. Simply put, Naomi and her sister Mari always felt Japanese, so that was our only justification. It was never a financially motivated decision, and we were never influenced by any national federation».
In 2021, Naomi admired how much her mother supported her tennis career. «As a child, I saw my mom work incredibly hard to support me and my passion for the game», - she told People. «She always put others first and always supported me in my diversity.
She continued that she is still learning to be herself, but in any case, she just wants people to believe in themselves. «Every role model of mine has inspired me to dream big. To rise to a new level in everything. And while I’m still working on being the best role model, I want to show them that I stick to my beliefs and love myself as I am», - she explained. «Then, perhaps one day it will help them feel confident that it’s okay to be different and create their own path — as long as they stay true to themselves»
Naomi’s father, Leonard Francois, is from Haiti, while Tamaki Osaka is Japanese. They met in Japan when Tamaki was a high school student and Leonard was in college, as reported by Marie Claire. They started dating and kept it a secret for many years, knowing that Tamaki’s family would not approve of their relationship. Unfortunately, their fears were realized: when the family found out about their romance, they did not speak to her for about five years.
Tamaki gave birth to Mari Osaka in 1996 and Naomi in 1997, while they were living in Japan. They later moved to Long Island, New York in 2000, where Francois' relatives lived. Since then, they have moved to Florida, although it seems that their true home is Naomi’s fans in the stands.
According to Naomi’s father himself, he always planned to raise advanced tennis players and admitted that he drew inspiration from the father of the Williams sisters, Richard Williams, who was their coach in childhood. «The plan was already there», - Leonard told The New York Times in 2018. «I just had to follow it». While Naomi is still in the game, her older sister retired in 2021.
Although Leonard never received formal tennis training, he apparently enjoys giving his daughter words of wisdom during matches. «Yes, he’s so annoying. Oh my God. Do you hear him on the court? I can’t believe it. He runs to the bench and says, 'Be calm.' That’s it. He doesn’t give me any tactical advice. I can’t believe it. I was so mad», - Osaka joked in a 2019 interview, as reported by Tennis World. At the time, she had just ended her partnership with her former coach Jermaine Jenkins.
Naomi renounced her American citizenship to play for Japan at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Her strong identity as an Asian woman is a goal that her Japanese mother has pursued since the star’s birth. «We decided that Naomi would represent Japan from an early age», - Tamaki recalled in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2018. «She was born in Osaka and grew up in a family of mixed Japanese-Haitian culture. Simply put, Naomi and her sister Mari always felt Japanese, so that was our only justification. It was never a financially motivated decision, and we were never influenced by any national federation».
In 2021, Naomi admired how much her mother supported her tennis career. «As a child, I saw my mom work incredibly hard to support me and my passion for the game», - she told People. «She always put others first and always supported me in my diversity.
She continued that she is still learning to be herself, but in any case, she just wants people to believe in themselves. «Every role model of mine has inspired me to dream big. To rise to a new level in everything. And while I’m still working on being the best role model, I want to show them that I stick to my beliefs and love myself as I am», - she explained. «Then, perhaps one day it will help them feel confident that it’s okay to be different and create their own path — as long as they stay true to themselves»
© Puhova Marina
