Naomi Osaka has been using the tennis off-season to reflect on her journey to the top of the sport. The 23-year-old won her third Grand Slam title at this year’s US Open, but she suffered a hamstring injury during the competition that ended her 2020 season. Osaka has remained active off the court, and she recently gave an interesting interview on The Boardroom, a popular show that features young and successful athletes and entrepreneurs.
Osaka has credited her parents for putting her in a position to succeed in tennis
During the interview with Rich Kleiman, who is Kevin Durant’s agent, Naomi reflected on the success she had achieved in her relatively young career. In an interesting take on her childhood, she appreciated the role that her parents had played in helping her succeed. The US Open champion revealed that she had always gotten along with her parents, and they had managed to provide her with a normal childhood while helping her pursue her tennis goals. Osaka claimed that her parent’s determination had given her the desire to take care of them and do whatever was necessary to make them proud.
Leonard and Tamaki had to endure family hostility when they started dating
Osaka’s mother, Tamaki, and her father Leonard Francois had to endure several challenges after they started dating in Japan. Leonard is originally from Haiti, and he met Tamaki while on a visit to the Asian country. At the start of their relationship, Tamaki’s family disowned her because they felt that she had brought dishonor to their household by dating a black foreigner. The couple moved to the United States when Osaka was three years old, and they worked hard to ensure that the US Open champion and her sister, Mari, would have similar success to Serena and Venus Williams.
Fortunately for Tamaki, her family softened their hardline stance and decided to mend their relationship with her after she moved to the United States. Leonard and his wife advised Osaka to represent Japan in her international tennis matches even though she had grown up in America. The 23-year-old will be among the main attractions at next year’s Olympics in Tokyo. For now, Osaka has been enjoying her off-season, which has seen her participate in some exciting projects. The Japanese tennis star was the cover model for November’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine. She will also be a guest editor for an upcoming edition of the i-D magazine, a Japanese publication. Osaka has claimed that she will use her platform to encourage young people to find their voice and advocate for change and a better world. The three-time Grand Slam champion could be an influential personality in the coming years both on and off the court.
Naomi Osaka in 2020
Currently the world no.3, Osaka played her last match on the 12th of September when she overcame Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open to win her 6th career title.
This season Naomi has a composed 16-3 win-loss record. Osaka has won 1 title at the U.S. Open. The Japanese was the finalist in New York.