Naomi Osaka Bio And Facts
Naomi Osaka has made waves throughout the tennis world since her debut in 2013, most notably with her breakout first win at a Grand Slam event in 2018, which was followed by further victories and a swift rise to the Number 1 world ranking. Without a doubt, Osaka will continue to dominate in the tennis world, both on and off the court. Read on to learn more about her meteoric rise.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka was born October 16, 1997, to a Japanese mother and Haitian father. Born in Japan, she moved at a young age to New York with her family. Naomi Osaka was homeschooled throughout high school, and the Osaka family moved to Florida, where she continued training tennis.
Osaka’s professional career officially began in 2013, representing Japan at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. In 2016, she was recognized as the WTA Newcomer of the Year. In 2019, she held the title of the number one women’s tennis player and was the highest-earning athlete, with $37.4 million in earnings throughout the year. Osaka was able to make a big mark when she beat Serena Williams in the U.S. Open Finals at 19 years old. This win against Williams made Osaka the first tennis player from Japan to win a Grand Slam.
- Birthdate: October 16, 1997
- Education: Homeschooled; Broward Virtual School
- Net Worth: $45 million
- Occupation: Professional Women’s Tennis Player
- Height: 5’11” (1.803 m)
- Weight: 142 lbs (64 kg)
- Plays: Right-handed
- Years Active: 10 years
- Career Wins: 265 wins
- Career Losses: 148 losses
- Nicknames: Naomi-chan
- Teams: Japan
Social Media
Tennis Career
Naomi Osaka first played tennis at home when she was three years old. After training and attending tennis academies in Florida, Osaka went pro in 2013. Naomi Osaka represents Japan in her professional tennis career, for her Japanese citizenship and culture from her mother.
Osaka is best known for her powerful serve. In the 2016 U.S. Open, Osaka’s serve reached a record-breaking speed, 125 mph. There had only been nine other women tennis players to reach speeds that fast in their serve. Following that, in 2016, Osaka was recognized as the Newcomer of the Year by the WTA.
While she is primarily a women’s singles-player, she has played doubles with her older sister, Mari Osaka. She has idolized Serena Williams all of her life and left everyone in the crowd surprised when she defeated Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open at only 20 years old. She was recognized as the best women’s tennis player in the world in 2020 and is still actively competing professionally.
Titles and Awards
- 2x Australian Open Singles Champion (2019, 2021)
- 2x US Open Singles Champion (2018, 2020)
- 2021 ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
Naomi Osaka has set records for young women playing professional tennis. Representing Japan, she has made a mark for the country, being the best Japanese tennis player professionally. Currently, she has 265 singles matches won in her career, which started 10 years ago and continues today. Career-wise, she has reached the number one women’s ranking in the WTA from 2019 into 2020.
Personal Life
Naomi Osaka was born in Osaka, Japan on October 16th, 1997. Osaka was three years old when the family moved to the United States to Long Island, New York. She is of Japanese and Haitian descent, with Japanese citizenship leading her to represent Japan in her tennis career.
Osaka’s father was inspired by the Williams sisters, and took it upon himself to teach Naomi and her older sister, Mari, tennis. In 2006, the family moved to Florida to focus on the tennis practice of the daughters at the ISP Academy. Osaka currently lives in Beverly Hills, California, and keeps her personal life private from the media. In January of 2023, Osaka announced that she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend, rapper Cordae.
Fun Facts
- Naomi Osaka is of Japanese and Haitian descent.
- Naomi Osaka was only 20 years old when she won the U.S. Open.
- Naomi Osaka was coached by her father, Leonard Francois.
- Naomi’s doubles partner is her older sister, Mari Osaka.
- The Office is Naomi Osaka’s favorite TV show.
- Naomi Osaka is the first Asian player in history to be ranked number one in the world.
- Osaka’s tennis career was influenced by the Williams sisters and their tennis success.
- Her US Open Final in 2018 against Serena Williams was one of the most controversial and talked about matches of the year.
- Naomi Osaka is fluent in Japanese and English.
- Naomi Osaka is currently dating the rapper Cordae, and they are expecting their first child together.
FAQ
How fast is Naomi Osaka’s serve?
Naomi Osaka has one of the fastest serves in the WTA, reaching a record high speed of 125 mph. While her serve is fast, her build does not give off the impression of the speed. Osaka is calm and has a powerful forearm. Osaka is close to the record speed of 131 mph which Sabine Lisicki holds in the WTA.
Is Naomi Osaka the youngest tennis player in the WTA?
Naomi Osaka is currently not the youngest tennis player in the WTA. However, she did experience much success before the age of 21. She is one of the youngest players to win the U.S. Open and be ranked as the number one tennis player in the WTA.
Who is Naomi Osaka’s sister?
Naomi Osaka has an older sister named Mari Osaka. Mari was born on April 3, 1996. Mari Osaka also plays professional tennis and often plays doubles with Naomi Osaka. The two have been coached by their father from a young age and are both inspired to be just like the Williams sisters. Mari Osaka is not as high ranked as Naomi and does not play as many matches as her.
Where does Naomi Osaka live?
Currently, Naomi Osaka resides in Beverly Hills, California. Naomi Osaka was originally born in Osaka, Japan. The Osaka family migrated to New York when she was three years old. The Osakas then later moved to Florida to pursue tennis. Naomi Osaka played at the ISP Academy. She has Japanese citizenship, which by law made her have to surrender her United States citizenship to be able to continue playing tennis for Japan.