Why Did Naomi Osaka’s Sister Mari Osaka Retire From Tennis? What Does She Do For A Living in 2025?

Naomi Osaka is not the only one who is a tennis star from her family with four Grand Slam wins. Her elder sister was in the game too! But now it seems like she has decided to change her career path but why?

Let’s dive in to see why Mari Osaka did not follow her younger sister into tennis even though she dabbled in it.

Who is Naomi Osaka’s Sister Mari Osaka?

Naomi Osaka’s sister, Mari Osaka, was born on April 3, 1996. She is a fashion designer and former tennis player. In her career, she reached four ITF finals.

The 29-year-old carved her own path and followed her goals rather than becoming a tennis player like her younger sister. She was born in Japan and then raised in the USA with her siblings. Mari had an affinity for tennis since the age of 3, which is when Naomi started to love tennis.

Mari had a good tennis career achieving a career-high WTA singles ranking of 280th in 2018 and competing mainly on the ITF circuit. She made it to the ITF finals with her final game in 2018. She was defeated by Bianca Andreescu in a tight 3-set battle, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6.

Why did Mari Osaka retire from tennis?

Mari retired from tennis in 2021, and there were several factors that led to this decision. She was 24 when she retired from tennis. “I am retired from playing tennis. It was a journey which I didn’t enjoy ultimately, but I’m grateful for all the memories and support I’ve gained and received over the years from the sport,” she shared.

The elder Osaka had a 340 ranking in the world, but she was not enjoying her journey. The Japanese player earned $90,000 while she played tennis.

What does Mari Osaka do in 2025?

Her current profession is related to fashion design, modeling, and content creation. She has a steady involvement in Naomi’s brand and fashion collaborations.

She co-designed Naomi’s Met Gala outfit as well, in 2021. “Working alongside my sister and an iconic designer like Nicholas Ghesquière was inspiring,” Mari had expressed to Vogue. “The design we ended up creating speaks to our biracial heritage and in that, I believe it really celebrates who we all are and how we all play a role in the American Dream. It’s a celebration of cultures, like America itself, a melting pot of so many special and unique elements.”

Mari Osaka’s net worth in 2025

Mari Osaka is now a fashion designer, having her own career path and legacy. Even though her official net worth is not known publicly, her prize money from tennis matches is listed as $90,891.

As for her career in design, she has been closely involved with Naomi and designed several custom outfits for her. Mari’s influence and contribution are everywhere in Naomi’s most iconic fashion moments. She has worn custom self-designed COVID-19 masks for UNICEF, and Mari has also created Naomi’s unique look on the cover of GQ Japan’s June 2020 edition.

Mari & Naomi Osaka’s Sister Bond

The bond between the sisters is extremely strong, as seen from their teamwork, be it in tennis doubles or fashion collaborations. “My sister’s a driving force for me,” Naomi had said during an interview with Nike, giving credit to her sister for encouraging her. “When I was little, Mari would beat me every day, and I feel like that shaped my competitiveness a lot. It just made me really want to win all my matches,” she later added.

With Mari standing strong as a pillar of strength, will Naomi Osaka bag another win? While Naomi Osaka undergoes her litmus test in Flushing Meadows, keep yourself up to date with the happenings at the US Open through the EssentiallySports Live Blog!