Did Naomi Osaka Give Up US Citizenship? Does She Have Haitian Citizenship?

When it looked like Serena Williams’ tennis career was beginning to wind down, there emerged one tennis star who looked to fill in the massive void that the American legend was going to leave. It was none other than Naomi Osaka, who defeated Williams at the 2018 US Open final to win her maiden Grand Slam title. Fast forward to 2025, and Osaka has already won four major titles during her career. While she isn’t done yet, Osaka has had an interesting multi-cultural background that goes a long way in making her a complete player.

Did Naomi Osaka give up her U.S. citizenship?

Osaka was born in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. While her mother, Tamaki Osaka, was of Japanese origin, Osaka’s father, Leonard François, was Haitian–American. During her childhood days, when she was just four years old, her family moved to the US to live with her grandparents. It was in the US that Osaka got real exposure to tennis, and her father was determined to see Osaka pursue the sport.

While she grew up in the United States, Osaka had dual citizenship of the US and Japan. However, back in 2019, Osaka let go of her American citizenship in order to play for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. According to the citizenship rules in Japan, dual citizens have to choose one nationality before turning 22. Moreover, Osaka was closer to her mom and her Japanese relatives and thus chose to renounce her US citizenship. “My dad thought that since I grew up around my mom and I have a lot of Japanese relatives. I don’t necessarily feel like I’m American. I wouldn’t know what that feels like,” Osaka said during an interview.

Does she have Haitian citizenship?

Apart from being close to her mother and her Japanese relatives, Osaka is also proud of her Haitian background. Take the example of this year’s Miami Open. After defeating Liudmila Samsonova, she waved the Haitian flag and supported the country’s heritage. Additionally, Osaka can often be seen supporting the country’s people through charity and awareness campaigns through her foundation, the Osaka Foundation.

Although she doesn’t have a legal Haitian citizenship, Osaka has been very well connected to her father’s roots, which she is never shy to hide. Thus, her connection to Haiti is more cultural than legal.

More than a passport: Naomi Osaka’s multicultural identity

Owing to her multi-cultural identity and her exploits on the tennis court, Osaka has become a global sporting icon. Moreover, she also balances her diverse background in a solid way, giving importance to each of her roots. Although Osaka is legally Japanese, she has imbibed even her American and Haitian roots, which is quite evident from her displays in public.

During an interview, she said, “Japanese culture? I kind of love everything about it. I love the food. Everyone’s really nice. There’s just a lot about Japan that’s really cool. … And Haiti, if you’ve ever met a Haitian person, they are just really positive, and literally if you’re friends with them, then they will do anything for you. So I think that’s something that is like a really good trait, and I’m really happy that my grandparents and my dad’s side of the family is like that.”

This goes to show that Osaka’s current identity is beyond any legal document, as she has accepted her multi-cultural roots with pride. On the tennis front, Osaka will face Coco Gauff in the fourth round of the US Open. The match can be followed on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog.