What You Need To Know About Naomi Osaka

Written by Lawrence Gonzalez, LS Blogger

Off the press, no matter where you go Naomi Osaka is everywhere. From fashion to headlines to social media, there is genuine intrigue in who she is and what makes hee different. Mika Apichatsakol of Thailand Tater, often compares Naomi to Serena William. Naomi Osaka hit the spotlight of the Women’s Tennis Association at the age of 16. Now 21-year-old world’s number one female tennis player is swiftly proving that she’s not the new Serena; she’s Naomi Osaka.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 02: Naomi Osaka of Japan returns a shot during her Women’s Singles fourth round match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on day eight of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 02, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Here are five things to know about the “hafu” (translation Hafu: half japanese) tennis champ and also five reasons to be an absolute fan.

A Teenage Sports Superstar:

Naomi’s first big break was when she was just 16 and defeated former US Open champ Samatha Stosur at the 2014 Stanford Classic. In 2018’s US Open, she defeated the 23-time titleholder Serena William to earn her first US Grand Slam Trophy.
Becoming The World’s #1 Record Breaker:

At the 2019 Australian Open, Naomi was one of 11 players contending for the title of world’s number one. Making it to the finals against Petra Kvitova, Naomi ended up taking home trophy. Naomi Osaka wins her 4th career title and 1st Toray Pan Pacific Open, defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 62:63. Osaka won 100% of her 1st serve points (20/20). 1st title since winning the Australian Open.
Raw Power and Talented:

When it comes to Naomi’s playing style, she is an aggressive baseline player. Her control of the game from the back of the court is exceptional. To have the upper hand at this, you have to have raw power. When she was 16, she was already hitting 160km/h forehands. Her serve has been measured up to 200km/hr, putting her in the world’s top 10 fastest servers. To put it in context, top fastests female serves must be recorded at 200km/hr or 124mph. Her current tennis ranking is No. 4 as of September 2019.
Multicultural:

Naomi is Haitian-Japanese and a holder of Japanese and American citizenships. She was born in Osaka, Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father in 1997 and moved to the US with her family three years later where she soon after started training in tennis with her older sister Mari. Proud and Grounded of her past and the legacy that she carries for both Haiti and Japan.
A Sportmanship Ace:

Despite her prowess on the court and all her world titles, Naomi is incredibly shy and humble in person. She’s known for second-to-none sportsmanship, treating every one of her opponents with respect even under tough circumstances. Her current earnings are slated to be north of $16 Million in endorsements. She is ranked 2nd on Forbes’ list of highest-paid female athletes. Her portfolio includes Mastercard, Nissin Foods and All Nippon Airways, taking her total combined earnings to $24.3 Million for the year.