Why Does Naomi Osaka Use Her Mother’s Last Name?

Published 05/17/2021, 2:30 PM EDT

Naomi Osaka has established herself as one of the tennis icons at just the age of 23. The Japanese star is currently a 4-time Grand Slam champion and has defeated the likes of Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty, and several other big players on many occasions. In addition, she is also the brand ambassador of many successful and established firms right now.

Not both of Naomi Osaka’s parents are Japanese. While her mother, Tamaki Osaka, is Japanese, her father, Leonard Francais, is a Haitian. While society is gradually, or perhaps a bit too slowly, moving towards equality, the vestiges of patriarchy remain. So it may come as a surprise that Naomi, and her sister Mari, took their mother’s surname.

The Japanese Law

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As per a Japanese law, if a Japanese citizen has one non-Japanese parent, the person must take the name of the Japanese native parent. This makes it much easier for Naomi and her sister to rent an apartment, open a bank account, and access other such facilities in Japan.

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In addition, even though both Naomi and her sister were raised in the United States and even learned tennis there, their father always wanted them to represent Japan.

Moreover, it was also a way for the parents to ensure the siblings didn’t lose their connection with Japan.

Clearly there isn’t just one particular factor that has influenced this decision, but perhaps wanting to retain their Japanese citizenship played the most significant part in the siblings taking the surname Osaka over Francais.

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Who Are Naomi Osaka’s Parents?

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Written by:

Anshul Singh is a tennis author at EssentiallySports, currently pursuing Journalism Honors from Delhi University. Having significant experience with content, Anshul has authored over 500 tennis articles. He has previously worked as a writer and an editor for DU Express, penning riveting articles on sports, politics, and culture.

Why Does Naomi Osaka Use Her Mother’s Last Name?

The Japanese Law

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