Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka (Japanese pronunciation: [oːsaka naomi]; born October 16, 1997) be a Japanese professional tennis player. Na dem rank am as de world No. 1 insyd women's singles by de WTA for 25 weeks dey start insyd January 2019, de first Asian player to hold de top ranking insyd singles. Na Osaka win seven career singles titles, wey dey include four majors: two each at de Australian Open den de US Open. She be de first Japanese player to win a major singles title.

Na dem born am insyd Japan to a Haitian–American poppie den a Japanese mommie, Osaka live den train insyd de United States since age three. She cam to prominence at age 16 wen na she defeat former US Open champion Samantha Stosur insyd ein WTA Tour debut at de 2014 Stanford Classic. Two years later, she reach ein first WTA final at de 2016 Pan Pacific Open insyd Tokyo wey na she enter de top 50 of de WTA rankings. Osaka break into de upper echelon of women's tennis insyd 2018, wey she win ein first Tour title at de Indian Wells Open, wey she then defeat Serena Williams insyd de final of de US Open. After she win de Australian Open insyd early 2019, she reach de world No. 1 ranking for de first time. Dey follow two more major titles, insyd 2021, Osaka suffer from depression den oda issues, wich lead to a publicly-scrutinized retirement from de French Open den withdrawal from Wimbledon. She take maternity leave insyd 2023, wey she return to competition insyd 2024.

Osaka be one of de world ein most marketable athletes. Insyd 2020, she rank eighth among athletes insyd endorsement income wey na she get de highest-ever annual income of any female athlete. Dem sanso recognise Osaka as an activist, wey na she show support for de Black Lives Matter protests. Na dem name am one of de 2020 Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of de Year for ein activism, particularly during ein US Open championship run, wey na dem include am on Time ein annual list of de 100 most influential people insyd de world insyd 2019, 2020, den 2021. Na Osaka be de 2021 Laureus World Sportswoman of de Year. At de 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she cam be de first tennis player to light de Olympic cauldron during de opening ceremony.

On de court, Osaka get an aggressive playing style plus a powerful serve wey fi reach .

 Early life den background 

Na dem born Naomi Osaka on October 16, 1997, insyd Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan to Leonard François, who wey komot Jacmel, Haiti, den Tamaki Osaka (大坂 環, Ōsaka Tamaki), wey be from Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan. She get an older sisto, Mari, wey be a former professional tennis player. Na dem give de sistos dema mommie ein family name as dat be de practice insyd Japan wen one parent per hold native citizenship. Na Osaka ein parents originally meet insyd Sapporo wen na ein poppie be a visiting college student (NYU).

Wen na Osaka dey four years old, ein family move from Japan to de U.S. make den live plis ein poppie ein parents insyd Elmont, New York on Long Island. Na ein father be inspired make he teach ein daughters how to play tennis by watching de Williams sisters compete at de 1999 French Open. Na he get little experience as a tennis player einself, he seek make to emulate how Richard Williams train ein daughters make dem cam be two of de best players insyd de world, despite he never play de sport. Na François remark say "na de blueprint already dey der. I just for follow am," plus regard to de detailed plan Richard take develop give ein daughters.

François begin dey coach Naomi den Mari once dem settle insyd de United States. Insyd 2006, ein family move go Florida wen na she be eight anaa nine years old so say dem go get better opportunities to train. She practice on de Pembroke Pines public courts during de day wey na dem homeschool am at night. Wen Naomi dey 15years old, she begin dey work plus Patrick Tauma at de ISP Academy. Insyd 2014, she move go de Harold Solomon Tennis Academy. She later train at de ProWorld Tennis Academy.

Although na dem raise Osaka insyd de United States, ein parents decide say dema daughters go represent Japan. Na dem say, 

Na dis decision sanso fi be motivated by a lack of interest from de United States Tennis Association (USTA) wen na she still be a young player. Na de USTA later offer am de opportunity to train at dema national training center insyd Boca Raton, Florida wen na she dey 15 years old, buh she decline.

 Career 

 2011–2015: First WTA Tour match win 
alt=A reporter holding a microphone to Osaka with Williams to the side smiling|thumb|Na dem interview Osaka at de 2014 Stanford Classic alongsyd Serena Williams
Osaka never compete on de ITF Junior Circuit, de premier international junior tour, wey na she play insyd a small number of junior tournaments per at any age level. She instead skip to de ITF Women's Circuit wey na she play ein first qualifying match insyd October 2011 on ein 14th birthday. She then make ein professional main-draw debut insyd doubles at ein next tournament insyd March plus ein sisto Mari. Meanwhile, na she no qualify for ein first singles main draw til July insyd ein seventh such attempt. Na ein best result of de 2012 season cam at a 10k event insyd Amelia Island, wer na she loose to ein sisto insyd de semifinals. Osaka never win a title on de ITF Circuit, na she manage to finish runner-up on four occasions per. Na ein first two finals cam at de 25k level, na one of wich be insyd June 2013 insyd El Paso, Texas. Na de oda be insyd March 2014 insyd Irapuato, Mexico wey na e include a victory over ein sisto.

Insyd September 2013, na Osaka turn professional shortly, before she turn 16 years old. She enter ein first two qualifying draws on de WTA Tour dat same month at de Challenge Bell insyd Quebec den de Pan Pacific Open insyd Tokyo. Na de latter event be ein first opportunity to compete professionally insyd Japan. De summer wey dey follow, Osaka qualify for ein first WTA Tour main draw at de 2014 Stanford Classic. Insyd ein tour level debut, she upset world  19, Samantha Stosur, insyd a tight match wer na she save a match point insyd de second set tiebreak wey na she cam back from a 5–3 deficit insyd de third set. Na she still be just 16 years old wey na she rank No. 406 at de time. Osaka sanso win a match as a wildcard at de Japan Women's Open, ein oda WTA Tour main draw of de year per. Na dese victories help am progress into de top 250 of de rankings before de end of de season.

Despite she no win anoda WTA Tour main-draw singles match insyd 2015, Osaka continue to climb up de rankings. She reach ein two highest level finals, de first at de 75k Kangaroo Cup insyd Japan den de second at de 50k Surbiton Trophy insyd England. Dey follow dese runner-up results, na dem rank Osaka high enough make she enter qualifying at de last two major singles events of de year, Wimbledon den de US Open. She win ein first match at de US Open, buh na she be unable to qualify for either main draw. Nonetheless, na Osaka get a strong finish to de year. Insyd October during de WTA Finals, she win de Rising Stars Invitational four-player exhibition tournament, wey she defeat heavy favorite den world No. 35, Caroline Garcia, insyd de final. She continue dey play insyd November, Osaka then reach de biggest final of ein career at de WTA 125 Hua Hin Championships insyd Thailand. After a semifinal at a 75k event insyd Japan, she fini de year ranked No. 144.

 2016: Newcomer of de Year, top 50 
alt=Osaka ready to serve|left|thumb|Osaka at de 2016 French Open
Osaka begin de season playing three tournaments insyd Australia. Na ein results during dis stretch be good enough make e bring am near de top 100, wich allow am make she play insyd WTA Tour-level events all year. Most notably, she qualify for ein first Grand Slam main draw at de Australian Open wey na she make am to de third round. In particular, na she upset No. 21, Elina Svitolina, insyd straight sets insyd de second round before she loose to No. 16, Victoria Azarenka. Back insyd de United States, Osaka receive a wildcard into de Miami Open, ein first Premier Mandatory main draw. During de event, she win two matches wey dey include a victory over No. 18, Sara Errani. Plus dis success, she progress into de top 100 of de WTA rankings for de first time.

Insyd de clay-court events wey dey lead up to de French Open, na Osaka need to qualify for every event she enter. She manage to do so at a single event per, de Charleston Open, buh na she loose ein match per insyd de main draw. Nonetheless, na dem rank Osaka high enough make dem directly accept am into de main draw of de French Open. Insyd ein debut, she record ein two clay-court match-wins per of de season. She sanso win de first set against No. 6 Simona Halep, buh na she ultimately loose de match. Na she then no play de grass-court season, after she suffer an injury shortly after de French Open.

Osaka return to tennis insyd de middle of July. At de US Open insyd August, she reach de third round at a major event for de third time dat year. Na she upset No. 30 CoCo Vandeweghe insyd de first round before she loose to No. 9 Madison Keys, insyd three sets. During ein match against Keys, na she get a 5–1 lead insyd de third set before she ultimately loose insyd a tiebreak. After de tournament, Osaka begin de Asian hardcourt season plus two tournaments insyd Tokyo, she first loose insyd de second round at de Japan Women's Open. Na she already reach ein first two career WTA quarterfinals earlier insyd de year, she then make ein breakthru as a wildcard at de Premier-level Pan Pacific Open. She upset No. 12 Dominika Cibulková den No. 20 Svitolina on de road to making ein first WTA final at de age of 18. At de time, na Cibulkova be de highest-ranked player na she ever defeat. Additionally, na she be de first Japanese player to contest de final at de event since Kimiko Date insyd 1995. Na Osaka ultimately fini runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki. Nonetheless, she enter de top 50 of de WTA rankings for de first time. At de end of de season, na dem name am de WTA Newcomer of de Year.

 2017: Two top-10 victories 
After ein huge improvement de previous year, na Osaka be unable to set a new career-high ranking insyd 2017. Nonetheless, she maintain a steady ranking thru out de season, wey na she no rise higher dan No. 44 while she no fall lower dan No. 68, ein year-end ranking. Na she no win more dan two main draw matches at any event all year.

Na Osaka ein best tournament result of de season cam at de Canadian Open, wer na she reach de round of sixteen as a qualifier. During de event, she upset No. 16 Anastasija Sevastova before she need to retire against world No. 1, Karolína Plíšková, secof an abdominal injury. Na she win de second set against Plíšková. Na ein next best results of de year cam at de last two major events of de season, wer na she make am to de third round at each of Wimbledon den de US Open. She get a strong debut at Wimbledon, wey she upset No. 23 Barbora Strýcová, before she loose to No. 11 Venus Williams. Na dem then highlighg ein US Open by ein first-round win against defending champion den No. 6, Angelique Kerber, de first top-ten victory of Osaka ein career. However, na dem end ein run by veteran qualifier Kaia Kanepi. Na dis be de second consecutive year she loose insyd de third round of de US Open, after she have at least a one-break lead insyd de third set.

Na Osaka in particular struggle to play on clay courts. After she win ein first two matches at de Charleston Open, na she no win anoda main-draw match on clay de remainder of de season. Na Osaka do well insyd ein first full grass-court season on de WTA Tour, wey she go 4–4 behind ein performance at Wimbledon. Na ein biggest wins of de year all cam on hardcourt. In addition to ein results at de Canadian Open den de US Open, she sanso record a second top-ten victory over No. 5, Venus Williams, at de Hong Kong Open, ein last tournament of de year.

 2018: US Open champion, world No. 4 
alt=Osaka hitting a forehand|thumb|Osaka at de 2018 Nottingham Open
Dey follow ein lack of improvement insyd 2017, Osaka hire Sascha Bajin to be ein coach insyd de off-season. Insyd dema second tournament togeda, Osaka produce ein then-career best result at a major event. At de Australian Open, she reach de fourth round, after she defeat two top-20 players insyd Elena Vesnina den hometown favorite Ashleigh Barty, wey she ultimately loose to world No. 1, Simona Halep. Na dis result help am return to de top 50 within de next month.

At de Indian Wells Open, Osaka get de next big breakthru of ein career. Na she never win a professional title anaa make am past de third round at a Premier Mandatory event, she win de tournament convincingly, wey she drop one set per insyd de middle round of de tournament. Insyd de quarterfinals den semifinals, she defeat two top-five opponents insyd Karolína Plíšková den Halep, na de latter of wich be ein first victory over a current No. 1 player. She then close out de tournament plus a win insyd de final over fellow up-and-coming player Daria Kasatkina, wey make am de youngest champion at de event insyd ten years. Plus ein first title, she surge past ein previous career-high ranking to No. 22 insyd de world. Osaka play de week wey dey follow as well at de Miami Open wey na she extend ein win streak by one additional match insyd ein first meeting against ein kiddie time idol, Serena Williams, wey na she dey compete insyd just ein second tournament back from maternity leave.

After ein success insyd de early months of de season, Osaka get a rather quiet middle of de year. She reach de third round at both de French Open den Wimbledon, wey dey match ein best performance at each tournament. De closest na she cam to winning anoda tournament be on grass at de Nottingham Open, wer na she loose to top seed Barty insyd de semifinals.

Na Osaka no get anoda breakthru result til de US Open, wer na she win ein second title of de year. Like at Indian Wells, na she drop one set per insyd de middle round of de event, dis time to No. 20 Aryna Sabalenka. Insyd de three early rounds, she loose a total of seven games per wey she notably record a double bagel victory against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Na dem draw Osaka against Madison Keys insyd de semifinals, wey na she be able to avenge ein tough loss from de 2016 US Open to advance to de final. Insyd de final, she defeat Serena Williams for de second time insyd 2018 to win ein first major title. Na de match be marred den overshadowed by an on-court dispute between Williams den de umpire wey na Williams highlight wey she receive a game penalty. Na boos from de crowd continue during de match den de award ceremony. Na Osaka later say dat na de win be "a little bit bittersweet" den "na e no be necessarily de happiest memory." Nonetheless, she cam be de first Japanese woman to contest a major singles final den de first Japanese Grand Slam singles champion.

Now dem rank am insyd de top ten, Osaka extend ein win streak to ten matches by she reach de final at de Pan Pacific Open insyd Tokyo for de second time insyd ein career. Na Plíšková be able to end ein win streak insyd de final. Osaka then reach de semifinals at de Premier Mandatory China Open. Plis ein third consecutive deep run, she rise to a career-best ranking of world No. 4, wey dey match de record of Kimiko Date den Kei Nishikori for de highest ranking dem hold by a Japanese player insyd history. Na Osaka close out de year by she participate at de WTA Finals, wer na dem group am plus Sloane Stephens, Angelique Kerber, den Kiki Bertens. She loose all three of ein round-robin matches, wey she notably retire against Bertens secof a hamstring injury to end ein season. Na Osaka fini de year as de WTA Tour leader insyd prize money, wey she earn almost $6.4 million.

 2019: Australian Open title, world No. 1 
Na Osaka enter de Australian Open as de fourth seed wey she sanso be one of eleven players in contention for de world No. 1 ranking. She make am to de final against Petra Kvitová, wey she beat Hsieh Su-wei insyd de third round, despite e be one set, 2–4 den 0–40 down at one point. Anastasija Sevastova sanso win de first set against am insyd de fourth round, while na No. 8 Karolína Plíšková push am to three sets insyd de semifinals. After Osaka win de first set insyd de final, Kvitová save three championship points before she break Osaka insyd back-to-back service games to win de second set. Nonetheless, Osaka recover to win de championship. Na she be de first woman to win consecutive major singles titles since Serena Williams insyd 2015, wey na she be de first player to follow up ein first Grand Slam singles title plus anoda at de next such event since Jennifer Capriati insyd 2001. She sanso cam be de first Asian player wey dem rank No. 1 insyd de world insyd singles. Despite dis title, she part ways plus ein coach Sascha Bajin dey follow de tournament.

Na Osaka struggle after de Australian Open. She loose insyd de fourth den third rounds at de two Premier Mandatory tournaments insyd March, de Indian Wells Open den de Miami Open. After she begin de clay-court season plus a semifinal at de Stuttgart Grand Prix, wer na she withdraw secof an abdominal injury, na ein best results be two quarterfinals at de Madrid Open den de Italian Open. She sanso withdraw from de latter secof a right hand injury. Osaka match ein best result at de French Open, wey she loose to Kateřina Siniaková insyd de third round. During de grass-court season, Osaka loose insyd de early rounds to Yulia Putintseva at both tournaments she enter, wey dey include de first round at Wimbledon. As a result, she loose de No. 1 ranking to Ashleigh Barty.

Before de US Open, Osaka make de quarterfinals at de two Premier 5 tournaments insyd August, de Canadian Open den de Cincinnati Open, wer na Serena Williams den Sofia Kenin defeat am respectively. Na dese performances help am regain de No. 1 ranking so na she get de top seed at de US Open. Nonetheless, na ein title defense cam to an end insyd de fourth round against Belinda Bencic, wey defeat am for de third time during de year. She then fall to No. 4 insyd de world. Dey follow de tournament, na Osaka go back to having ein poppie as ein coach. Na dis change get an immediate impact, as Osaka win ein next two tournaments. First, she win de Pan Pacific Open insyd ein hometown of Osaka, wey she defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova insyd de final. Two weeks later, she win de Premier Mandatory China Open. During de tournament, na she defeat reigning US Open champion Bianca Andreescu insyd den quarterfinals den world No. 1 den reigning French Open champion Ashleigh Barty insyd de final, both insyd three sets after she loose de first. Na dis be Andreescu ein first loss since March. Na dese results bring am to No. 3 insyd de world. At de end of de season, Osaka qualify for de WTA Finals for de second consecutive year. However, after she defeat Petra Kvitová insyd ein first match, she withdraw secof injury.

 2020: Second US Open title 
alt=Osaka smiling as she walks across the court|thumb|Osaka at de 2020 Cincinnati Open insyd New York
Na Osaka play four tournaments per insyd 2020, largely secof de COVID-19 pandemic. Before de tour shutdown, she loose to No. 2 Karolína Plíšková insyd a semifinal at de Brisbane International den Coco Gauff insyd de third round of de Australian Open, wey na she squander a chance to serve for de match insyd de former. Wen na de tour resume, Osaka play de Cincinnati Open den de US Open, wich na dem hold insyd back-to-back weeks insyd New York. Na Osaka no loose a match at either event. At de Cincinnati Open, she defeat four players dem rank insyd de 20s before she default insyd de final against Victoria Azarenka secof a hamstring injury. Na both Osaka den Azarenka san reach de final at de US Open, wer na Osaka cam be de first player to win a US Open women's singles final wey cam from a set down since 1994. Na dis be ein second US Open title insyd three years. Dey follow de US Open, Osaka skip de French Open wey end ein season secof ein lingering hamstring injury.

During both of dese tournaments insyd New York, Osaka draw attention for ein activism. Na she initially withdraw from de Cincinnati Open before de semifinal to raise awareness for de police shooting of Jacob Blake, na she only stay insyd de tournament after na dem choose to support ein cause by dem postpone de event for a day. At de US Open, na Osaka walk onto de court for ein seven matches wey she wear a different black mask, each of wich plus de name of an African American wey na dem kill insyd recent years often widout significant repercussions.

 2021: Australian Open title, mental health issues 
Na dem seed Osaka third at de 2021 Australian Open. Na she record straight-sets wins over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia, den Ons Jabeur, before she defeat Garbiñe Muguruza insyd three sets insyd de fourth round despite she face match points during de third set (de match per insyd wich na she loose a set during de tournament). She go on to defeat Hsieh Su-wei insyd de quarterfinals, Serena Williams insyd de semifinals, den 22nd seed Jennifer Brady insyd de final to claim ein second Australian Open title.
She cam be one of three players per insyd de Open Era to win ein first four Grand Slam finals, alongsyd Roger Federer den Monica Seles.

Osaka return to de Miami Open as de second seed, wey she make de quarterfinals for de first time. She loose de quarterfinal insyd a shock defeat to Maria Sakkari, wey she win just four games. As a result, Osaka miss out on regaining de No. 1 ranking.

Na dem seed Osaka second at de French Open. Shortly before de start of de tournament, she announce say she no go conduct ein mandatory media assignments. After Osaka win ein first match insyd straight sets wey na she no hold a press conference, dem fine am $15,000 wey na dem threaten am plus rising levels of fines den expulsion. De day wey dey follow, she announce ein withdrawal from de tournament, dey cite mental health issues. Na chaw fellow athletes den sponsors voice support give Osaka, wey sam dey note a rarely discussed issue of mental health, although na de overall reaction from de wider tennis community be mixed. On June 17, na Osaka ein agent announce say she no go participate insyd de upcoming Wimbledon Championships buh she go take part insyd de Tokyo Olympics.

Osaka go later return to action at de Cincinnati Open wer na she be defending finalist. Na she beat Coco Gauff insyd de second round buh na Jil Teichmann upset am insyd de third, both insyd three sets.

At de US Open, Osaka fail to defend ein title, wey she loose ein composure den de match to de eventual tournament runner-up, Canadian Leylah Fernandez, insyd de third round, despite she serve for de match insyd de second set. During de match, na Osaka throw ein racket wey na she receive a code violation for hitting a ball into de stands. Insyd ein post-match press conference, Osaka announce anoda hiatus from de sport "for a while", wey she reveal say na winning no dey make am happy anymore.

 2022: Miami Open final 
Osaka return to competition at de Melbourne Summer Set tournament ja dem seed am No. 1 wey na she make de semifinals, before she withdraw secof an abdominal injury. Na ein next tournament be de Australian Open, wer na dem seed am 13th wey she attempt to defend ein title. However, na dem eliminate am insyd de third round by Amanda Anisimova, insyd three sets. Na Osaka describe she be happy despite de loss wey na she discuss steps she dey take to improve ein mental health den have "more fun on de court".

Na she drop 71 spots insyd de WTA rankings to No. 85 dey follow de tournament, plus de tournament absences insyd 2021 wey contribute to de drop.

Insyd March, Osaka enter de Indian Wells Open wer na she beat Sloane Stephens insyd de first round, buh she loose to Veronika Kudermetova insyd straight sets insyd de second. Na dem upset Osaka by a heckler insyd de crowd during de second round wey na she dey in tears during de match. Na dem interview am after de match, she compare ein treatment to heckling at de tournament insyd 2001 wey lead de Williams sisters to boycott am for 13 years.

De week wey dey follow, Osaka enter de Miami Open. Na she reach ein first final since de 2021 Australian Open after she defeat 22nd seed Belinda Bencic insyd de semifinals. Na dem rank am 77 at de time, she cam be de lowest ranked finalist insyd de tournament ein history. However, she loose de final to second seed Iga Świątek, insyd straight sets.

Dey follow a right ankle injury at de Madrid Open, Osaka withdraw from de Italian Open. On May 23, she loose insyd de first round of de French Open to Anisimova.

Dey play for de first time since de French Open, Osaka win ein first-round match at San Jose against Zheng Qinwen insyd three sets, buh na she loose insyd de next round to Coco Gauff, insyd straight sets. At de Canadian Open, Osaka retire from ein first match against Kaia Kanepi secof back injury. Against home favorite Danielle Collins, Osaka start positive into de US Open buh na she loose de first set insyd a tiebreak, den ein first-round match insyd two sets. Na ein troubles continue at de Pan Pacific Open wer na, as de defending champion, she withdraw insyd de second round dey cite abdominal pain. Na she play one game per insyd ein first-round match against Daria Gavrilova wey retire secof a knee injury.

 2023: Pregnancy den hiatus 
Days before de Australian Open, Osaka announce ein withdrawal from de championships, as na she dey expect ein first kiddie plus rapper Cordae. Insyd ein withdrawal message, she confirm plus fans say she go be back for de Australian Open insyd 2024. She later announce ein return at de 2024 Brisbane International.

 2024: Two quarterfinals 
Osaka make ein return to professional tennis as a wildcard at Brisbane. Dey play ein first professional match since September 2022, she defeat Tamara Korpatsch insyd de first round insyd straight sets, wich include a 20-point first set tiebreak, before she loose to defending champion Karolína Plíšková insyd de second round insyd a very tight three-set match. Insyd de Australian Open, Osaka face Caroline Garcia insyd de first round wey na she loose insyd straight sets. Insyd de Qatar Ladies Open, Osaka reach quarterfinals wer na she san loose to Karolína Plíšková. Osaka return to Indian Wells, wey she secure straight-set victories over Sara Errani den Liudmila Samsonova. She fall to de 24th seed Elise Mertens insyd de third round. Insyd Miami, Osaka take out Elisabetta Cocciaretto den Elina Svitolina insyd straight sets, before she fall to Frenchwoman Carolina Garcia insyd dema third face-off of de year.

Osaka start ein clay-court season insyd Rouen, wey she loose to clay-court specialist den former French Open semifinalist, Martina Trevisan, insyd straight sets. She return to Madrid plus a comprehensive victory over Greet Minnen. Insyd a tough three-setter, Osaka loose to Samsonova insyd de second round. She reach de fourth round insyd Rome, wey she defeat notably seeded Daria Kasatkina den Marta Kostyuk insyd straight sets, before she fall to Zheng Qinwen.

At de French Open, Osaka loose an unexpectedly close second-round match to de three-time winner den world No. 1, Iga Świątek, after she set point insyd de first set den one match point.

Osaka then return to grass courts for de first time since 2019 insyd 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. She make a winning return wey she beat fourth-seeded Elise Mertens insyd de first round, eventually she make am to de quarterfinals wer na she be defeated by Bianca Andreescu. At Wimbledon, Osaka get thru to de second round, before she lose to Emma Navarro.

At de Canadian Open, Osaka defeat Ons Jabeur insyd de first round, buh na dem eliminate am insyd de second round after she loose to Elise Mertens.

She reach de second round at de US Open plus a win over tenth seed Jelena Ostapenko, before she loose to Karolína Muchová.

Osaka play ein next tournament at de China Open, wey she make am thru to de fourth round wer na she retire secof a back injury at de start of de third set against Coco Gauff. On 21 October, she announce say na she dey end ein season early secof ein back injury.

 2025: Auckland final, first title since 2021, first WTA 1000 final since 2022 
Osaka start ein 2025 season at de Auckland Open, wer na she reach ein first final since 2022, buh na she retire secof an abdominal injury, after she win de first set against fifth-seeded Clara Tauson. At de Australian Open, Osaka defeat Caroline Garcia den 20th seed Karolína Muchová, before she retire against Belinda Bencic insyd de third round. Na ebe de furthest she advance insyd a major since de 2022 Australian Open. Plus ein performance, na Osaka ein ranking rise to 42nd insyd de world.

At de Miami Open, she loose to sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, insyd three sets insyd de fourth round. After an early loss insyd Madrid, Osaka enter de minor league Challenger Tour WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo tournament, ein first appearance insyd a tournament below Tour-level since 2015. She defeat Kaja Juvan insyd de final, wey she achievie ein first title since de 2021 Australian Open den ein first tournament victory on clay at any level.
At de Canadian Open, Osaka reach de final wey na she be runner-up, wey she loose insyd three sets against newcomer Victoria Mboko.

 National representation 

 Fed Cup 
Osaka make ein Fed Cup debut for Japan insyd 2017, while na de team dey compete insyd de Asia/Oceania Zone Group I. Japan win all nine of dema rubbers to advance out of dema round-robin pool. Although Osaka win ein singles match insyd de play-off against Kazakhstan, de team loose dema oda two matches wey na dem no able to advance. De year wey dey follow plus Osaka absent, na Japan be able to defeat Kazakhstan insyd de same group to advance to de 2018 World Group II Play-offs. Insyd dis stage, na dem host Great Britain insyd a usual five rubber tie. At dis point, Osaka return to de team wey na she win ein opening match against Heather Watson. After she loose ein next rubber to Johanna Konta, na Kurumi Nara sanso be able to defeat Watson to set up a decisive doubles match. Japan win dat final rubber to earn promotion to World Group II insyd 2019.

 Hopman Cup 
Osaka make ein Hopman Cup debut insyd 2018 plus Yūichi Sugita. Na Japan dey make dema first appearance at de exhibition tournament since 2001. Na dem group dem plus Switzerland, de United States, den Russia, wey na dem loose all three of dema ties. Osaka ein match win per cam insyd singles against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She sanso get a big highlight insyd de mixed doubles match against Switzerland wen na she serve an ace past Roger Federer.

 Olympics 
Na Osaka light de Olympic cauldron during de opening ceremony of de 2021 games. Dey cam into de Tokyo Olympics, na dem rank Osaka 2nd insyd de world. She loose insyd de 3rd round of de games to eventual finalist den silver medalist Markéta Vondroušová after two straight set victories.

At de 2024 Paris Olympics, Osaka loose insyd de first round to Angelique Kerber, wey na she dey play insyd de final tournament of ein career.

 Playing style 

alt=Osaka finishing her service motion|left|thumb|Osaka dey serve insyd 2018
Osaka be an aggressive baseline player. She get excellent raw power, especially on ein forehand den ein serve. Osaka fi hit  forehands at de age of sixteen, wey na dem clock ein serve at up to , wey dey make am one of de ten fastest servers on record insyd WTA history. While she fi use ein power to hit high numbers of winners, Osaka ein key to success be able make she win long rallies. One of de first notable instances insyd wich na dat strategy prove successful be wen Osaka make ein first career WTA final at de 2016 Pan Pacific Open.

Na Osaka credit improving ein mental approach den dey cut down on unforced errors for ein breakthru season insyd 2018. At de Wuhan Open towards de end of de year, she note, "I think my biggest improvement is mental. My game is more consistent, there are not so many unforced errors. I'm not sure how many I hit today, but sometimes last year I was hitting a lot!" Na she attribute sam of dese changes to ein coach Sascha Bajin, wey she dey say, "Since I was working with [Bajin] — and I tend to be a bit negative on myself — I feel like I've gotten a little bit more optimistic ... I fight myself a lot, so he's sort of been, like, the peacemaker." Bajin sanso agree plus Osaka on de impact of having a patient, positive approach insyd each match.

 Coaches 

Na Osaka be coached by ein poppie Leonard François from de age of three. Na Patrick Tauma be one of ein first coaches after she begin dey play on de ITF Women's Circuit. Na he be ein coach insyd 2013 wen na she reach ein first ITF final. Insyd 2014, she spend seven months dey train at an academy wey be run by Harold Solomon, a former top five player den French Open finalist wey coach chaw top women's tennis players wey dey include Jennifer Capriati den Mary Joe Fernández. Under Solomon, Osaka defeat Sam Stosur for ein first WTA match win. Dey follow ein loss at de 2016 US Open wer na she no fi convert a 5–1 lead insyd de third set, de Japan Tennis Association help arrange for David Taylor to be ein new coach.

After de 2017 season, Osaka switch coaches to Sascha Bajin, wey previously serve as a hitting partner to top players such as Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, den Caroline Wozniacki. Plus Bajin as ein coach, Osaka win ein first Premier Mandatory title den two Grand Slam singles titles. She sanso rise to No. 1 insyd de world after dem never previously rank am above No. 40. Na dem name Bajin de inaugural WTA Coach of de Year insyd 2018. Shortly after ein 2019 Australian Open title, Osaka surprisingly split plus Bajin, dey say, she "no go put success over [ein] happiness." She hire Jermaine Jenkins to be ein new coach from March til October. Na Jenkins previously work as a hitting partner give Venus Williams. Osaka temporarily replace am plus ein poppie insyd September. She win ein first two tournaments plus am back as ein coach. Osaka hire Karue Sell as a hitting partner, a position na he ultimately hold for close to two years. She subsequently hire Wim Fissette at de start of de 2020 season buh she announce on September 13, 2024, de end of dema coaching relationship.

Insyd September 2024 Osaka add Patrick Mouratoglou as ein coach.

 Endorsements 

Osaka be one of de most marketable athletes insyd de world. She earn an estimated $16 million insyd endorsements alone insyd 2019, wich place am second among female athletes behind Serena Williams per wey earn $25 million. De year wey dey follow, she cam be de highest-paid female athlete of all time, wey she earn $37.4 million in total, wey dey include $34 million insyd endorsements. Overall, na she be de 29th highest-paid athlete insyd 2020 den de 8th highest-paid athlete insyd endorsements per.

Na Nike be Osaka ein apparel sponsor since 2019, as na she replace Adidas wey sponsor am for four years. Plus Nike, Osaka get a clothing collection wey dey feature ein monogram logo wey dey use ein initials wey be inspired by de Japanese flag. Na de Japanese sporting equipment manufacturer Yonex supply am plus rackets since 2008. She dey play plus de Yonex Ezone 98 racket, dem equip plus Polytour Pro 125 den Rexis 130 strings. Na Osaka be represented by de IMG management company since 2016. Insyd 2022, Osaka lef IMG, in order to set up ein own sports management agency, Evolve, alongsyd ein agent, Stuart Duguid.

Osaka be a brand ambassador give Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan den Japanese electronics manufacturer Citizen Watch. She sanso dey endorse chaw oda Japanese companies, wey dey include noodle maker Nissin Foods, cosmetics producer Shiseido, de broadcasting station Wowow, den airline All Nippon Airways (ANA). Na dem make Nissin Foods, one of de largest instant noodle companies internationally, make dem apologise den retract an advert, insyd wich de company portray Osaka plus white skin den light brown hair.

Insyd January 2021, na dem name Osaka de brand ambassador give Tag Heuer watches, as well as give Louis Vuitton; she appear insyd dema Spring-Summer 2021 campaign. She sanso be endorsed by Beats Electronics, Bodyarmor SuperDrink, Mastercard, Panasonic, FTX, PlayStation, Levi's, Airbnb, Sweetgreen, Workday, den GoDaddy. Na dem estimate ein endorsement portfolio make e earn Osaka up to $60 million per year. As a result of FTX ein $11-billion bankruptcy, na dem sue Osaka for ein involvement. Insyd February 2022, na de U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rule insyd a lawsuit against Bitconnect dat de Securities Act of 1933 dey extend to targeted solicitation wey dey use social media.

Na Panasonic announce de signing of Osaka as brand ambassador insyd June 2021. She be a promoter of de "Panasonic Green Impact" initiative alongsyd Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps den Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen. Na Panasonic enlist de three celebrity athletes for ein sustainability mission wey na dem be part of an ad campaign for climate change wey na e include individual commercials den a commercial insyd wich all three athletes be featured.

 Activism 

Osaka cam be a leading activist insyd professional tennis. Na ein decision to withdraw from de 2020 Cincinnati Open insyd New York to raise awareness for de police shooting of Jacob Blake lead de tournament make dem postpone all Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) den Women's Tennis Association (WTA) matches for a day for support of ein cause. At de 2020 US Open wey dey begin de week wey dey follow, each mask she wear as she walk onto de court (secof de COVID-19 pandemic) prominently display de name of an African American wey na dem kill insyd de few years wey precede, de majority insyd de year before de tournament, den de majority wey de police kill. Na she highlight Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castile, den Tamir Rice; weh na she be praised directly by de parents of Martin den Arbery. Prior to dese acts of activism, na Osaka sanso travel to Minnesota make she attend de protests of de murder of George Floyd. Na she outline ein personal reasons for supporting de Black Lives Matter movement den protesting against police brutality insyd an op-ed insyd Esquire magazine.

Na dem name Osaka a 2020 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of de Year for ein activism alongsyd de year ein oda prominent activist sports champions LeBron James, Breanna Stewart, den Patrick Mahomes, as well as medical worker Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Na dem sanso honor am as one of de Time 100 most influential people insyd de world insyd 2020 for ein activism, wey na dem sanso name am to de list insyd 2019 for representing professional tennis well as an excellent role model den a major champion. Na Osaka ein activism draw attention from de scholarly community wey dey study celebrity den advocacy, especially during de COVID-19 pandemic den following de police killing of George Floyd.Deflem, Mathieu (2022). 

Na dem feature Osaka as de main character insyd a manga series wey be published by Kodansha insyd Nakayoshi, a leading Japanese shojo magazine. Na Futago Kamikita draw de series wey na dem make am plus de help of Osaka ein sisto Mari. Na de first edition appear insyd de February 2021 issue of de magazine, wich na dem release insyd December 2020.
Insyd March 2021, na Osaka speak out against anti-Asian hate crimes.

 Ein life matter 

Na Osaka begin a relationship plus American rapper Cordae (then YBN Cordae) insyd 2019. Insyd January 2023, no be long after she withdraw from de Australian Open, Osaka reveal say she preg plus ein first kiddie plus Cordae. Osaka later say she hope to return to tennis for de 2024 Australian Open insyd January 2024. During ein pregnancy, Osaka receive antibiotics to treat Group B streptococcus. She sanso learn say na de umbilical cord wrap around ein unborn kiddie ein neck. On July 7, 2023, she welcam a healthy girlie. On January 6, 2025, Osaka announce say na she den Cordae no longer dey insyd a relationship, wey she add say der be "no bad blood" between de two den dat he be a "great person" den "awesome dad."

 Mental health challenges den advocacy 
Na Osaka plus depression since de 2018 US Open. Insyd May 2021, she refuse to take part insyd required press conferences during de French Open wey na dem consequently fine am $15,000 wey na dem threaten am plus expulsion from de tournament. On May 31, Osaka withdraw from de event to restore ein mental health den well-being, wich greatly propel ein status as a mental health activist.Deflem, Mathieu Deflem, and Megan Routh (2025).  Less dan a month later, she pull out of Wimbledon to take "some personal time plus paddies den family." At de 2020 Olympics, she loose insyd de third round.

Insyd September 2021 at de US Open, she loose to Leylah Fernandez. During de match, she throw ein racket three times wey na she receive a code violation for firing a ball at de spectators. Na dem biz am why, she reply, "I'm not really sure why" den "recently I feel very anxious when things don't go my way." Osaka then announce she dey take an indefinite break from de sport. Later insyd 2021, she say na she dey insyd therapy.

At de 2022 Indian Wells Open, na a heckler unsettle Osaka to de point of tears. She return to therapy wey she later say e "really help" den dat she be better prepared for incidents. Insyd a May 2022 interview, Osaka say dat while na der be ups den downs, she dey feel very content plus ein mental health journey.

 Business endeavors 

Insyd 2021, Osaka cam be a co-owner of de North Carolina Courage insyd de National Women's Soccer League, de top level of women's soccer insyd de U.S. Osaka be an investor insyd a professional pickleball team wich go be based insyd Miami, Florida, beginning insyd 2023.

Na ein contract plus IMG expire at de end of 2021, after six years of representation. 

Insyd May 2022, Osaka announce say she den ein agent, Stuart Duguid, go form dema own sports agency, Evolve. Osaka den Duguid go get equity stakes insyd de new agency. On June 20, 2022, Osaka announce say na she sign Nick Kyrgios as ein first client.

Insyd 2022, Osaka den Duguid launch Hana Kuma, a media den production company. Na dem initially launch am insyd partnership plus TheSpringHill Company den after a $5 million fundraising round, dem spin off independently insyd 2023. Na de company get chaw ventures, wey dey include de video interview series "Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios". Insyd 2024, Hana Kuma announce a partnership plus de LPGA to create a brand building programme give female golfers.

 Career statistics 

 Grand Slam singles performance timeline 
+Tournament20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025Win %Australian OpenA3R2R4RW3RW3RA1R3R2 / 926–770%French OpenA3R1R3R3RA2R1RA2R1R0 / 88–753%WimbledonQ1A3R3R1RNHAAA2R3R0 / 57–558%US OpenQ23R3RW4RW3R1RA2R2 / 823–679%Win–loss0–06–35–414–312–39–19–12–30–03–44–34 / 2964–2572%
 (Na Naomi withdraw before 2nd round at de 2021 French Open)

 Grand Slam tournament finals 

 Singles: 4 (4 titles) 
+ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWin2018US OpenHard Serena Williams6–2, 6–4Win2019Australian OpenHard Petra Kvitová7–6(7–2), 5–7, 6–4Win2020US Open (2)HardVictoria Azarenka1–6, 6–3, 6–3Win2021Australian Open (2)Hard Jennifer Brady6–4, 6–3

 References 

 External links 

 Official website (in English and Japanese)
 Naomi Osaka at the Women's Tennis Association 
 Naomi Osaka at the International Tennis Federation 
 Naomi Osaka at the Billie Jean King Cup (archived)


Category:1997 births
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Category:Japanese female tennis players
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Category:US Open (tennis) champions
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Category:Sportspeople of Haitian descent
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Category:Tennis players at de 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Activists wey komot Osaka