Naomi Osaka may be just 27, but she has already made an impact in tennis. After all, she is the first Asian woman to be rated on the top among singles by WTA. Another thing to mention is that she was named the highest earning female athlete of all time.
These two facts are already impressive, but Naomi Osaka is much more than that. While aggressive and professional during the games, her off-court persona is also interesting: she’s an activist and very outspoken about multiple issues.
Our article aims to take a look at her biography: we will check out her rise to fame, activism, private life, and business endeavors. Treat this text as an overview of Naomi’s personality and sports career.
Early Life and Background
Born in Japan in a multi-cultural family, Osaka moved to the US in her early days. She started playing the game early with her sister. Their father was inspired by the Williams sisters’ training and wanted the same for his daughters. What’s even more surprising is that the father didn’t have any tennis experience. Nevertheless, his plan worked: both sisters became successful professionals.
After being trained by her father, Naomi and her family moved to Florida for better options. When she was 15, she trained with Patrick Tauma at the ISP Academy before moving to the Harold Salomon and the ProWorld tennis academies. Despite being raised in the US, she has always represented Japan. It was a decision made at the beginning of the career.
Rise to Fame in Professional Tennis
What followed next was an impressive career, rendering her one of the best female tennis players in the world. Below, we will look at how she rose to fame in the sport.
First things first, she turned professional in 2013. Her first significant win was defeating Samantha Stosur, a former US Open Champion, at the 2014 Stanford Classics. She steadily progressed through the ranks, becoming a top-100 player in 2016.
Breakthrough at the 2018 US Open
2018 was very productive for Osaka, as it included an Australian Open victory against a number of top-20 players, which was a career high. But the US Open took things even further with Naomi winning the major title after defeating Serena Williams. Overall, 2018 saw her getting from No. 68 to No. 4, an impressive career achievement.
Naomi Osaka defeating Serena WIlliams at the 2018 US Open (Source: https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2018-09-08/naomi_osaka_derails_serena_williams_in_dramatic_final.html)
Major Wins and Accolades
The 2018 US Open is far from Osaka’s main achievements. Other accolades include:
- Australian Open: wins in 2019 and 2021.
- US Open: she won in 2018 and 2020.
- Indian Wells Open win in 2018.
- China Open: victory in 2019.
Osaka was ranked No. 1 in the WTA female singles rating, although now her ranking is way lower. But she’s still in the top-100 club and very active. If you want to wager on her upcoming games, you can visit 1xBet to do it.
Playing Style and Techniques
Naomi Osaka plays aggressively and is known for a serve that is so powerful that it reaches speeds of up to 201 km/h. Osaka is a right-handed player. Incredible stamina and the ability to know how to use it are also some of her strengths.
Off-Court Activism and Impact
Naomi Osaka is a known activist, advocating for solving several societal issues. She has been actively supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and spoken publicly about racial injustices and police brutality. In 2020, she attended protests of the murder of George Floyd and earlier that year she withdrew from the 2020 Cincinnati Open to raise awareness for the shooting of Jacob Blake.
She has been very open about mental health issues, sometimes citing them as reasons to withdraw from championships and press conferences. She mentioned anxiety and depression several times in her interviews.
Business Ventures and Branding
Naomi is quite active in the business side of things, and appears on various commercials. So far, she’s one of the highest earning tennis players. In 2020, her annual income hit a historical height for any female athlete ever.
She has been a brand ambassador for Tag Heuer, Panasonic, Nissan, Citizen Watch, and Louis Vuitton. Her apparel and equipment has been sponsored by Adidas and, later, Nike. Yonex has been supplying her with rackets.
Creation of Unique Brands and Collaborations
Naomi is also a business owner. Let’s start with the fact that Osaka co-owns the North Carolina Courage, a women’s football team. She invested in an unnamed pickleball team and also owns a sports agency called Evolve.
Together with her agent, Stuart Duguid, Osaka launched a media production company. Its name is Hana Kuma and it has many ventures under its belt. It also partners with the LPGA.
Finally, Osaka owns her own skincare brand, KINLÒ. Its products include moisturizers, sun-protection, and various gels.
The estimates of Naomi Osaka net worth vary greatly, but the numbers are generally between $15 million and $50 million.
Personal Life and Interests
We’ve already explored some of her off-court activities, but there’s always room for more. In the next sections, we will take a look at her personal life, public persona, and her interests.
Osaka frequently cites fashion, gaming, anime, and photography as her main hobbies. She also enjoys reading and is active on social media, often engaging with her fans.
Relationships and Public Persona
Naomi is a rather open person that makes her opinions and views known. We have already covered her activism and business ventures so that fact should not come a surprise. Naomi also tends to dress stylishly both on and off-court.
Her personal life is no secret either: she has been dating American rapper Cordae since 2019. The couple had a child in 2023.
Naomi Osaka and Cordae (Source: https://news.sky.com/story/naomi-osaka-says-she-doesnt-feel-like-she-is-in-her-own-body-since-returning-to-tennis-13196957)
Challenges and Resilience
As we have already mentioned, Osaka is open about her mental health struggles. Those included depression, anxiety, and body image issues. Going to therapy was not her easiest decision, but several interviews show that she is confident that this move helped her. Osaka is also known for recently taking long breaks for the sport to work on her own mental health.
Naomi Osaka’s Legacy
Since she’s still active and young, talking about her lasting legacy would be a bit premature. Nevertheless, it is obvious that she has already made an impact at the sport. We can continue watching her becoming even more successful, certainly ending up being the modern-day living legend.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Naomi Osaka?
She’s 27.
Where was Naomi Osaka born?
She was born in Osaka, Japan.
What are Naomi Osaka’s most significant achievements?
She’s a two-time winner of the US Open and Australian Open. She was ranked the No. 1 female tennis player in 2019.
How has she influenced discussions around mental health in sports?
She is an example of an athlete who is outspoken about their own mental health struggles. She was always open about her issues with depression and anxiety.
