SUMMARY
- Naomi Osaka's sister leveled serious accusations against their father.
- Mari detailed the abuse she endured for years at the hands of Leonard.
Naomi Osaka is a tennis sensation and is considered to be among the best in the sport. Osaka found success early on in her career, and her parents played an important part in it. The four-time Grand Slam champion has always taken strength from her parents, but her sister, Mari Osaka, has just painted a different picture of their reality. Mari has shattered the image of the perfect family by accusing their father, Leonard Francois, of abuse.
Like Naomi, Mari started as a tennis player, as their parents wished them to be. However, the older Osaka sister eventually moved away from the sport, while Naomi tasted success.
Mari accused their father, Leonard, of tormenting her since she was a child, and he continues to do it still. She took to Instagram to blow the lid off his deeds, detailing the abuse she has had to endure for years.
Mari added that even her mother, Tamaki Osaka, was a victim of Leonard’s. She revealed how Leonard broke into their home and tried to intimidate them. Naomi’s older sister ended her rant with a threat directed at Leonard. She made it known, in no uncertain terms, that she would call the cops or kill him herself if push came to shove.
“The way you have hurt me and our family, honestly I won’t regret it if they kill you so yea come back to the house and threaten to beat me up again. I will fight back and I will fight for both of us. I will kill you unless you kill me first,” she wrote in the now-deleted post.
Mari Osaka’s post has shaken the tennis world deeply, as the Osaka family has been nothing but supportive of their daughter. The reality is indeed very different.
Who are Mari Osaka and Leonard Francois?
Much like Naomi, Mari used to be a tennis player too but hung up her racket in 2021. She made it to four finals on the ITF circuit and reached a career-high ranking of 280 in singles.
Mari made her singles debut at the Miami Open in 2019 after getting a wildcard entry into the main draw. Unfortunately, Osaka never got to experience the success her younger sister did. Since retiring from the sport, she has focused her energy on art and fashion. Mari also designed Naomi’s 2021 Met Gala outfit.
Leonard Francois is a Haitian who met Tamaki on a college trip to Japan. The two fell in love and welcomed Mari, their older daughter, in 1996. In 1997, Tamaki and Leonard welcomed Naomi.
Leonard played a very important role in shaping Naomi’s career and was even her coach as she was growing up. Osaka has won four Grand Slam titles, and her family is a constant presence at her matches. Hence, Mari’s accusation is a reminder that not everything is as it seems.