Everything we know about Naomi Osaka’s parents

Naomi Osaka created a bit of a stir when she won her first WTA title at the 2018 Indian Wells Open. However, no one predicted that she would defeat 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams in the US Open final that same year. year. Osaka proved that her victory was no fluke when she took first prize at the 2019 Australian Open.

We know a lot about Naomi’s triumphs, but most people don’t know much about the critical role her parents played in facilitating her success. This article will take an in-depth look at Naomi’s parents, Tamaki Osaka and Leonard Francois. We’ll see how they defied tradition in the name of love and how they raised Naomi to be a champion.

Tamaki’s parents were opposed to her relationship with Leonard.

Tamaki Osaka was born in an area of ​​Japan where racial purity was still strictly observed. The coastal city of Nemuro had held true to the Tokugawa decree in the 1630s to keep Japan racially pure. Tamaki grew up with these principles, but his perception of the world changed when he went to high school in Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo.

Osaka’s stay in Sapporo coincided with the arrival of the first wave of foreigners. Leonard was among this wave, and fate brought him together with Tamaki. Leonard, a Haitian, helped change Tamaki’s perception of the world, and they soon began dating.

Such a relationship was taboo for Nemuro, but Tamaki didn’t care. Tamaki and Leonard’s relationship blossomed in secret, but after a while, Tamaki had to reveal the relationship to prevent a planned marriage. Tamaki’s father was enraged by the fact that she was in a secret relationship with a black foreigner.

Tamaki’s father condemned her for tarnishing the family name. Tamaki and Leonard moved to Osaka, where they found employment. Tamaki and her family would remain separated for more than ten years. Naomi and her sister Mari arrived shortly after the family settled in Osaka.

Leonard taught Naomi and Mari to play tennis.

Leonard’s motivation for teaching Naomi and Mari to play tennis came from watching Venus and Williams play together to win the French Open doubles in 1999. He was impressed by how Richard Williams, the sisters’ father, coached Venus and Mari. Mari. Williams to become virtually unbeatable. in the court.

Leonard followed Richard’s plan and vowed to teach his daughters to be tennis champions. It became easier for him to do so when the family moved to Long Island from Osaka. Naomi’s dad used instructional books and DVDs to devise ways to train his daughters.

Mari adapted to tennis better than Naomi and would always emerge victorious on the court. Naomi told the New York Times; “I don’t remember that I liked to hit the ball. The main thing was that I wanted to beat my sister. For her, it was not a competition. She said every day: ‘Tomorrow I’m going to hit you’”.

Leonard and the family moved to Florida in 2006 to give the sisters a better chance to make it as tennis players. Naomi finally beat Mari after 12 years of failure. Unfortunately, Mari’s career has been affected by injuries, but she still has time to recover.

Naomi’s father stepped in temporarily as Naomi’s coach in 2019, but Naomi became frustrated by his instructions.

In 2019, Naomi parted ways with former coach Jermaine Jenkins. Her father stepped in before Naomi hired another coach, and while Osaka appreciated the support, he lamented Leonard’s tactical shortcomings.

“Yeah, it’s so annoying,” Osaka said. Essentially Sports. “Oh Lord [laughter]. Do you hear his training on the court? I can’t believe it Run to the bank talking about, Be calm. That’s all. He doesn’t give me any tactics. I can not believe this. he was so angry [laughter].”

However, he appreciates that his father gives him space to do his thing while providing a stable support structure that he can rely on. “I also feel like I need a little bit of structure because if I do my thing for a long time, I don’t know, I feel like I need someone’s guidance or advice, you know? Naomi said.

Naomi also revealed that Leonard can’t stand watching her play and only peeks out on the TV broadcast. “Usually everyone knows that he just walks over and looks at the TV monitor,” Naomi divulged.

Naomi’s parents decided that Naomi and Mari would play for Japan instead of the USA.

Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

Leonard and Tamaki decided very early on that Naomi and Mari would represent Japan. The first reason was that the girls always felt connected to Japan, even though they grew up in the United States. Part of that connection lies in the fact that Naomi and Mari took Tamaki’s last name instead of Leonard’s.

When Naomi was around 11 years old, her parents took her and Mari to see Tamaki’s parents. Naomi’s grandparents welcomed the children, but emphasized that tennis was more of a hobby than a profession. However, the girls continued to play under the guidance of their father.

The second reason Leonard decided that the girls would play for Japan is that the US Tennis Association refused to help with the development of Naomi and Mari. The reason behind the association’s decision was that Naomi and Mari did not have impressive rankings and had not participated in tournaments.

Leonard thus decided that Naomi and Mari would play for Japan. It’s a decision the sisters largely agreed with. Naomi said The New York Times;

“My dad thought that because I grew up with my mom and I have a lot of Japanese relatives…I don’t know…I don’t necessarily feel like an American. I wouldn’t know what it felt like.”

Naomi gave up her US citizenship so she could play for Japan at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Osaka said that she got the motivation to work hard from her mother.

Osaka gained the motivation to succeed by accepting her mother’s education. She said in a May 2021 interview that Tamaki was a big influence in her life:

“Growing up, I watched my mother work incredibly hard to support me and my passion for the game. She always put others first and encouraged me to embrace my diversity. Every role model I’ve ever had has inspired me to dream big.”

Naomi added that she hopes to give back to the role models who inspired her rise, including her mother, by becoming someone the younger generations can emulate. “I want to show them that I can stick to my beliefs and love who I am,” she said Naomi. She added:

“Then maybe one day, it will help them feel confident that it’s okay to be different and create their own lane, as long as they stay true to themselves.”

Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn