Grand Slams, #BlackLivesMatter, mental health, mother: Everything you always wanted to know about Naomi Osaka (but never had time to find out) – updated after Australian Open 2024 return

Naomi Osaka was the first Japanese player ever to win a Grand Slam title. She will miss the 2023 season as she just gave birth to her first child. Here are the answers to many questions you may ask yourself about her

Who is Naomi Osaka?

Naomi Osaka is a professional tennis player from Japan who competes on the WTA Tour. She has won four Grand Slam titles and been ranked world No 1. After 14 months away, during which she gave birth to her first child, she returned to the Tour in Brisbane at the start of 2024.

When did Naomi Osaka become a mother?

Naomi Osaka and boyfriend Cordae announced that they welcomed a baby girl, Shai, in July 2023.

WILL Naomi PLAY FULL-TIME ON THE TOUR IN 2024?

Having begun her comeback at the Brisbane International on December 31, 2023, Osaka says she plans to play a full schedule in 2024, perhaps even a more complete schedule than she has done in the past.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis Majors’ Simon Cambers, Osaka said that she feels able to win a slam in 2024. She made her return to Grand Slam tennis in January at the Australian Open, but lost to Caroline Garcia in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Did Naomi Osaka play Roland-Garros in 2022?

Naomi Osaka did not play Roland-Garros in 2022. She pulled out of the Italian Open in 2022 due to a left ankle injury. The former world No 1 had picked up the injury in Madrid, where she lost in the second round in Madrid, going down to Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in straight sets.

Why did Naomi Osaka withdraw from Roland-Garros in 2021?

Prior to the start of the 2021 Roland-Garros event, Naomi Osaka announced that she would not take part in the mandatory press conferences after her matches due to concerns around mental health.

Her statement created a major stir in the days prior to the weekend. After winning her first round match in Paris, Osaka was fined $15,000 by the French Tennis Federation for skipping the press conference and was threatened with further fines and a possible expulsion from the event.

On the first Monday of the tournament, Osaka announced that she had never intended to create the controversy it had generated and decided to withdraw from the event after revealing that she had suffered from long bouts of depression. She announced soon after that she would not be playing at Wimbledon.

What happened to Naomi Osaka at the Olympics?

Osaka had the honour of lighting the Olympic flame in Tokyo at the opening ceremony and then played in the singles event. She reached the third round but was then upset by Marketa Vondrousova, the Czech going on to win the silver medal. She lost in the third round in Cincinnati.

What happened to Naomi Osaka at the 2021 US Open?

Trying to defend her title, Naomi Osaka looked good until the third round when she met the Canadian, Leylah Fernandez. Osaka led by a set and served for the match at 6-5 in the second set but could not close it out and went on to lose in three sets. Fernandez reached the final but Osaka suggested she may take a break from tennis. She attended the Met Gala in New York soon after.

On September 22, she announced she would not be playing in Indian Wells in October, thereby ending her season. In late August, she posted on social media to further explain what she has been going through.

How many Grand Slam titles has Naomi Osaka won?

Naomi Osaka has won four Grand Slam titles. The first one came at the US Open in 2018, when she stunned Serena Williams in the final. She then followed up by winning the Australian Open in 2019 and picked up a third by winning the US Open for a second time in 2020. The Japanese star most recently triumphed at the 2021 Australian Open, where she defeated Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 in the final. She has won seven WTA titles in all.

When was Naomi Osaka born and who are her family?

Naomi Osaka was born on October 16, 1997 in Osaka, Japan. She has been living in the United States since the age of three. Her parents are Tamari Osaka, who is from Japan, and Leonard François, who is from Haïti. They met in Japan in the 1990s. They moved to the United States, to New York in 2000 and then to Florida in 2006. Osaka has an older sister, Mari Osaka, born on April 3, 1996 in Osaka, Japan. She was world No 280, her best ranking, in May 2018. The two have never yet met on the professional circuit and Mari retired from the tour in early 2021.

In July 2023, Osaka announced that she and boyfriend Cordae became parents to a baby girl.

What is Naomi Osaka’s nationality?

Osaka is a Japanese player. She was also a US citizen until the age of 22, in October 2019. She gave it up in accordance with Japanese law, which states that a Japanese person with more than one nationality must choose one before turning 22. In 2019, Osaka became the first Japanese player in history to become world No 1.

What is her height?

Osaka is 5ft 11in (1.80m) tall, according to her profile on the official WTA website.

What is Naomi Osaka’s highest ranking?

Osaka’s reached the world No 1 ranking for the first time on January 28, 2019. She has spent a total of 25 weeks at the top spot. You can find her updated ranking and ranking history on her WTA tour profile page.

How much prize money has Naomi Osaka won in her career?

Osaka has won over $21.19 million in official career prize money, as of January, 2024. You can find her current prize money stats on her WTA profile page.

Who is Naomi Osaka’s coach?

Osaka is currently coached by her Wim Fissette, a former Belgian tennis player. Fissette has coached Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep in the past. They started their collaboration in December 2019 and they parted ways in July 2022. Fissette then coached Qinwen Zheng but the Chinese revealed in October 2023, he would be returning to coach Osaka.

Before that, Osaka had been coached by Sascha Bajin and then by Jermaine Jenkins.

Naomi Osaka - Wim Fissette

Who is Naomi Osaka’s boyfriend?

Osaka has been in a relationship since the beginning of 2019 with the American rapper YBN Cordae, born on August 26, 1997. They met at a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game.

What does Naomi Osaka think about the #BlackLivesMatter movement?

While the situation is very tense in the United States due to acts of violence perpetrated by the police against black Americans, Naomi Osaka has never made a secret of her commitment to the movement #BlackLivesMatter. On August 26, 2020, the 22-year-old went a step further by announcing her retirement from the Cincinnati tournament, just hours after qualifying for the semi-finals – a strong decision that forced the organisers to postpone all the matches that were scheduled for the following day.

What is Naomi Osaka’s net worth?

Osaka became the highest-earning woman in sporting history in 2020, earning $37.4 million, according to Forbes Magazine, in the year to May 2020, combining sponsorship money and prize money. She then smashed that figure in the year to May 2021, with Forbes reporting that she has earned $55 million, making her the highest-earning sportswoman in the world for a second consecutive year, and the highest-earning sportswoman ever. She maintained her place at No 1 in Forbes’ list in 2022, with $51.1 million, of which $50 million came in off-court earnings.

When did she start her career?

Osaka began her professional career in 2012 at the age of 14. The Japanese won her first match on the WTA main tour in Stanford in 2014. Then she was ranked 406th in the world and defeated Samantha Stosur, then ranked 18th, before falling in the second round against Andrea Petkovic. Osaka won her first WTA title in Indian Wells in 2018. Her idol growing up was Serena Williams.

You can follow Naomi Osaka on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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