Naomi Osaka
✓ Source-basedfallingJapanese tennis player
also United States
in JapanShe became the first Asian player to reach world No. 1 in tennis singles, won four Grand Slam titles before age 24, then stepped back from the French Open mid-tournament in 2021 citing depression - a withdrawal that cracked open a conversation about mental health in elite sport.
Also inDeutsch
Photos 7
In their own words 5
For me coming back here, it means a lot. This room, in particular. There were some tears shed. A lot
I feel a lot of joy coming back here. It’s kind of like seeing an old friend I haven’t seen in a long time.
I don’t think I can predict what I’ll do - I never am able to do that - but it definitely made me appreciate a lot of things that I took for granted.
Teams 2
Awards 3
In their orbit 1
Connected to Naomi 6
Florian ZellerAlso in Julie Keeps Quiet (2024)
Koen De BouwAlso in Julie Keeps Quiet (2024)
Gilles De SchrijverAlso in Julie Keeps Quiet (2024)
Kareem Abdul-JabbarAlso won Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
O. J. SimpsonAlso won Associated Press Athlete of the Year
Lindsey VonnAlso won Associated Press Athlete of the YearAbout this person
Born in Japan in 1997 to a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother, Osaka moved to the United States at three and trained there. She announced herself at 16 by beating a former US Open champion in her WTA debut at the 2014 Stanford Classic. The breakthrough came in 2018: she took Indian Wells, then stunned Serena Williams to win the US Open, becoming the first Japanese player to claim a major singles title. A second major followed at the 2019 Australian Open, lifting her to world No. 1. She added two more Slams, then in 2021 withdrew from the French Open after declining mandatory press conferences, publicly citing struggles with depression and anxiety. She took maternity leave in 2023 and returned to competition the following year. Off the court she became one of the highest-earning athletes in endorsements and wore masks bearing the names of Black Americans killed by violence during her 2020 US Open run, earning recognition as a Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.
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