‘He Watched Serena and Venus Playing One Day’- Naomi Osaka Says Serena Williams Is the Reason Why She Is Playing Tennis Today

Naomi Osaka, the four times Grand Slam champion, is one of the most celebrated players of tennis. In fact, she is the flag-bearer of Asia in the sport. Osaka carries the weight of many tennis fans’ hopes and desires. Which sometimes led to a lot of expectation on the Japanese.

However, there is nothing to worry about, as she has a very supportive family to lean on. The Japanese tennis ace has always spoken about how important her family is. And this time she gave the reason for the deep-rooted, love-filled bonding she shares with her close ones.

Naomi Osaka about how her parents

Osaka, while in an interview with Tyra Banks, spoke about what part each of her family member has played in making who she is today. She said, “For me, my family means everything. I definitely wouldn’t be here without any of my family members. My dad is the reason why we got into tennis. And that was because he watched Serena and Venus playing one day and he decided that me and my sister should do the same thing.”

Osaka’s father Leonard Francois, after getting inspired by Richard Williams, who made his daughters the legends of tennis, jumped into the sport. Despite of having little to no experience in tennis, Francois pursued his will and gave a tremendously talented athlete to the world.

Thereafter, the former World no.1 spoke about her mother. “My mom she is the backbone of the family. She actually worked all day so she could provide for me and my sister. We wouldn’t see her until the dinner time and she would leave before we got up in the morning.” She said.

Osaka‘s mother, Tamaki Osaka is from Hokkaido, Japan, and she is the one whose last name both the sisters use. Also, even though she did the majority of her training in the US, her early days were spent in Japan.

Read more: ‘My Goal Was to Make History’ – Naomi Osaka Recounts Setting Up Her Tennis Goals

Further, Tamaki Osaka recently wrote a book in Japanese with a title that translates to English as Through the Tunnel: Just One More Day, My Days of Chasing a Reckless Dream. In the book, she details how her daughter is just like her in terms of mindset and dedication to her profession.

Osaka’s sister’s role

The 24-year-old is very close to her elder sister Mari Osaka and believes she is the one who pushed her into becoming a better tennis player. As she said, “My sister she the one wanted to be like. Because she was also a tennis player and she would beat me every day. I would get really competitive and declare that her that I am gonna be better than you.”

Watch this story: The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis

Mari Osaka made her debut in the WTA tours through a wildcard entry in the 2019 Miami Open. However, she retired from the sport within four years only. In her career made up to the finals of four ITF tournaments and touched the ranking of WTA 280. Now, Osaka functions as a fashion designer and has collaborated with the two-time Australian Open champion on several projects.