Naomi Osaka? Tennis superstar, travels the globe, makes history wherever she goes. Like, she lit the Olympic Cauldron in Tokyo – how cool is that? Representing Japan big time! But here’s the thing, even though she’s got that Japanese citizenship, she’s always saying she feels more like a “global citizen.” And get this, someone asked her where she’s actually from the other day, and her answer? Totally proved that point!

During a recent Instagram Q&A, a fan asked Osaka where she was from. She responded, “I’m from everywhere babygirl❤️❤️❤️.” Given her multicultural upbringing and international career, it’s easy to see why she doesn’t feel tied to just one nationality. So, here’s the backstory on Naomi.

The Japanese tennis star’s background is as rich and diverse as her career. Born on October 16, 1997, in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan, she has both Japanese and Haitian heritage. Her mother, Tamaki Osaka, is from Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan, while her father, Leonard François, comes from Jacmel, Haiti.

When she was just a little kid, like four, her family packed up and moved from Japan all the way to New York, Long Island, to live with her dad’s parents. That’s where her dad, François, started coaching her and her sister Mari. Then, when Naomi was around eight or nine, they moved again, this time to Florida, because they knew the training would be way better there. Now, even though she grew up in the States, her parents made a really interesting choice. They decided Naomi and Mari would play for Japan. And they had a reason.

“We made the decision that Naomi would represent Japan at an early age. She was born in Osaka and was brought up in a household of Japanese and Haitian culture. Quite simply, Naomi and her sister Mari have always felt Japanese so that was our only rationale. It was never a financially motivated decision, nor were we ever swayed either way by any national federation,” her mother once explained to The Wall Street Journal.

For much of her life, the Japanese athlete held dual citizenship in both Japan and the United States. However, Japanese law requires individuals with dual nationality to choose one before turning 22. In October 2019, just days before the deadline, she officially retained her Japanese citizenship. This decision allowed her to compete for Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Despite choosing to represent Japan, the 4-time Grand Slam champion still maintains strong connections to the United States. She owns a $7 million home in Beverly Hills, California, and has spent most of her training years in America. Even so, she continues to embrace her Japanese heritage in various ways, including through fashion.

Naomi Osaka pays tribute to her Japanese roots in style

At the US Open last year, Naomi Osaka made a statement with an outfit that honored her heritage. The former World No.1 walked onto the court wearing a green competition dress, a white jacket, sneakers, and Bose headphones—all accented with oversized bows.

The look was created in collaboration with Nike and Japanese designer Yoon Ahn. “The inspiration for me was definitely Japanese, like Harajuku. I remember one of the first times I went to Japan, I saw so many frills and so many bows,” she told The New York Times.

Ahn described the outfits as “Lolita goth,” a well-known Japanese fashion trend. “They go out and wear pink, frills, bows, lace. It’s about really owning the cutesy-ness and the girly-hood,” she explained.

While she continues to make an impact off the court, the Japanese tennis star has also been focused on her return to competition. After stepping away from the sport in 2023 following the birth of her daughter, Shai, she made her comeback in the 2024 season. However, the transition hasn’t been easy. The 27-year-old has struggled to find her rhythm, and in 2025, she reached the third round of the Australian Open but was forced to withdraw mid-match against Belinda Bencic due to a strained abdominal muscle.

Since then, she has yet to play another match, but her return is just around the corner. Naomi Osaka has confirmed her participation in the Indian Wells tournament in March. Will she reclaim her dominance on the court this season? What do you think?