Photo:Julian Finney/Getty
Julian Finney/Getty
Naomi Osaka’s parents, Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka, have always supported her tennis ambitions.
Leonard and Tamaki first met when he was visiting Japan as a college student and the two began dating. Two years into their relationship, Tamaki’s father learned of her boyfriend, whom he didn’t approve of, and the couple decided to move to Osaka (a city in Japan), where they welcomed their two daughters, Naomi and Mari. The family later moved to the United States, where the sisters learned to play tennis, and later reunited with Tamaki’s side of the family.
Here is everything to know aboutNaomi Osaka’s parents, Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka.
Leonard and Tamaki grew up in different places
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Leonard was born in Haiti, while Tamaki grew up in Japan. The two cultures have been present in their everyday lives and have been integral in their daughters’ upbringings.
“Japanese culture? I kind of love everything about it … And Haiti, if you’ve ever met a Haitian person, they are really positive, and literally if you’re friends with them, then they will do anything for you,” Naomisaid of her backgroundin 2018. “That’s something that is a really good trait, and I’m really happy that my grandparents and my dad’s side of the family is like that.”
In 2020, Osaka spoke about her identity again, writing in an essay forEsquire, “As long as I can remember, people have struggled to define me. I’ve never really fit into one description — but people are so fast to give me a label. Is she Japanese? American? Haitian? Black? Asian? Well, I’m all of these things together at the same time.”
Leonard and Tamaki met in Japan
Naomi Osaka Instagram
Osaka’s parents first met when Leonard was visiting Hokkaido as a college student and Tamaki was finishing high school. They decided to keep their relationship a secret for years until Tamaki’s fatherattempted to arrange a marriagefor her.
According toThe New York Times, Tamaki’s father “erupted in outrage, excoriating her for bringing disgrace on the family,” when he learned of Leonard. Tamaki and Leonard then moved to Osaka together, where Naomi was born.
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“The blueprint was already there. I just had to follow it,” he toldThe New York Times. He also taught the girls how to play the sport on clay courts, just like Richard did with his daughters.
“I don’t know if there’s any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play,” Naomi said after playing Serena at the Australian Open, perESPN. “And just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream.”
They always supported Naomi in her passion
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Naomi has spoken highly of her parents and their support of her mentally, financially and athletically.
“Growing up Idreamed about winning Grand Slamsand becoming number one in the world,” she explained to PEOPLE. “While it was not easy, my family was dedicated to helping me get the access I needed to reach my goals. But unfortunately, not all girls have the same opportunities that I did.”
Naomi shared that she witnessed her mother work “incredibly hard to support me and my passion for play.”
The tennis pro concluded, “She always put others first and encouraged me to embrace my diversity. Every role model I’ve had has inspired me to dream big. To level up in every way.”
Naomi’s parents helped her decide to represent Japan in the Olympics
Naomi gave up her United States citizenship in October 2019 in order to represent Japan in the 2021 Summer Olympics. She has previously shared how much she is involved in her home country of Japan’s culture.
Naomi said in the documentary that she has “been playing under the Japan flag” since she was 14 and that it was “never even a secret” that she would play for them. However, she noted that she received some backlash for not playing for the United States.
“I don’t choose America and suddenly people are like, ‘Your Black card is revoked.’ And it’s like, African American isn’t the only Black, you know?” she shared.
Her father filled in as Naomi’s coach professionally
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In 2019, Naomi parted ways with coach Jermaine Jenkins and her father stepped up in the interim to coach her.
“He’s annoyed me so muchthat it just makes me angry, and I use the anger as fuel to win,” Naomi once said of Leonard, laughing during a press conference.
She went on to describe her father’s coaching style as “simple” and called him “not a very dominating presence.”
When a reporter asked if Naomi planned to keep Leonard as her coach, the tennis pro responded, “No, deuces. It was good while it lasted.”
They chose to give their daughters Tamaki’s last name
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“Osaka” is Tamaki’s maiden name, which is also the name of the city that Naomi was born in. It was the family’s decision for both Naomi and Mari to keep their mother’s last name.
The New York Timesreported that the decision was made because “it was mostly a practical matter when they lived in Japan, helpful for enrolling in schools and renting apartments.” The outlet also reported that the family would speak Japanese while they were at home, eat traditional Japanese food and partake in cultural celebrations.
They worked hard to provide for their daughters
Although Naomi has noted that she is very fortunate, she has praised her parents for the extra work that they took on to provide her with such opportunities.
“I came from a mom that worked for basically my entire childhood to put me through tennis. My dad, who was with me the entire time. And I knew that they had a really hard time,”she told CBS News. “Tennis is an expensive sport. So, just to put two kids through that and just, I guess, believe in them so much is something that — I always call my parents a bit crazy.”
Leonard and Tamaki are grandparents
Instagram/naomiosaka
source: people.com
