Naomi Osaka is one of the most popular names in the world of tennis, who came into the limelight in 2018. She stood out for her athleticism and also for being the 1st Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title and that too by beating the 23-times winner Serena Williams. Naomi hails from Osaka, Japan and is also multi-racial. Her mother Tamaki Osaka is Japanese by birth however her father Leonard Francois is originally from Haiti. Naomi also has an older sibling, Mari, who is a former professional tennis player. When the family lived in Japan, the two girls were given their mother’s family name for practical reasons. Interested to know more then read the full article to know about Naomi Osaka parents Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka.
Who are Naomi Osaka parents Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka?
Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka are the proud parents of the tennis star Naomi Osaka. Naomi’s mother Tamaki hails from Nemuro, Japan and was raised in strict Japanese culture. On the other hand, Leonard was from Haiti by birth but was visiting Hokkaido as a college student from New York.
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How did Naomi’s parents met?
Tamaki met Leonard in the early 1990s while he was a college student visiting Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. Tamaki’s parents were unaware of the couple’s relationship for many years, and when she was in her twenties, her father wanted to arrange a marriage for her from there her parents discovered the truth that their daughter was already seeing a foreigner who happened to be Black, which caused her father to erupt in rage, excoriating her for bringing shame to the family and he even tried to separate them.
Even though there were a lot of issues regarding their relationship, Tamaki and Leonard married each other secretly and moved out to Osaka. Soon after, the couple welcomed their two daughters, Mari and Naomi, who are only 18 months apart in age. But later on the family relocated from Japan to Long Island, New York when Naomi was 3 years old to live with Leonard’s parents.
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Leonard taught tennis to Naomi and Mari
After watching Venus and Serena Williams, Leonard decided to teach his daughters tennis. Naomi’s father, Leonard, was inspired by Richard Williams, and Naomi’s parents were so committed to her career that they relocated to Florida so she could receive better training. Leonard devoted his entire time and took up the job of a tennis coach to train his daughters and on the other hand, Tamaki was providing financial support for the family. Leonard Francois’s sole focus was to make them strong and undefeated. He didn’t want anything to get in the way of their tennis practice while also keeping their grades up for which he homeschooled his daughters rather than sending them to a school.
