SUMMARY
- Naomi Osaka could only spend her initial years in Japan before moving to the US.
- Naomi Osaka decided her citizenship in 2019.
Naomi Osaka has made an impressive comeback to the tour this season. She was away from the tour for more than a year due to her maternity leave. Osaka has participated in four events so far and looks to expand her schedule this season. She will be eager to play at the Paris Olympics and contribute to the medal tally for Japan.
Osaka lit the Olympic Cauldron at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Even though she was brought up in the US, Osaka chose to represent Japan. She held dual citizenship until 2019 and then laid down her American citizenship. According to Japanese law, dual citizenship holders need to choose one nationality before the age of 22. The former world No. 1 is proud of her mixed Haitian-Japanese heritage.
Tennis player Naomi Osaka gives up U.S. citizenship to play for Japan in 2020 Olympics, reports Kyodo News. pic.twitter.com/WX4CNIpBnA
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) October 10, 2019
Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois, is from Haiti, and her mother, Tamaki Osaka, is from Japan. The family had moved to the US when Osaka was young. At the age of three, the Japanese player was in the US and grew up there while playing tennis under the guidance of her father. Osaka used to train the whole day with her father while being homeschooled at night.
Naomi Osaka and her struggles while growing up in the US
Osaka has spent most of her years in the US. Her father initially trained the 26-year-old; the pair used to spend the whole day on the court. Francois used to prepare Osaka and her sister, Mari Osaka, for the professional circuit. Mari has played 358 matches on the tour, including three matches on the WTA tour. She was consistent on the ITF tour and last played a match in 2021.
The sisters were busy on the courts in the initial days as their father groomed them. Meanwhile, Tamaki used to work extra shifts in multiple jobs to secure the financial condition of the family. Francois was unemployed and was spending time being a mentor on the court for his daughters. Osaka’s mother’s hard work motivated her to become a better player on the court.
Today we celebrate US Open Champion, Naomi Osaka’s mum, Tamaki Osaka. What a gutsy, inspirational woman and mother! Congratulations to you and your family! Thank you for bringing so much joy to Japan, at a time when it really needs it!
🇯🇵👩🏻🎾🎊㊗️ #CelebratingWomeninJapan pic.twitter.com/yGIJJQcAdN— CelebratingWomeninJapan (@womenofjapan) September 9, 2018
The four-time grand slam champion understands what her mother went through before she achieved fame in the game. Osaka is also close with her sister. The siblings have played twice against each other on the ITF tour. They share a win each and have made their parents proud with their respective achievements. Osaka is currently inspiring her fans with her comeback on the tour.