Naomi Osaka and sister Mari Osaka! @naomiosaka @mari.osaka The Osaka Sisters father was inspired to teach his daughters how to play tennis by watching the Williams Sisters compete at the 1999 French Open. Their father had very little experience as a tennis player, so he sought to emulate how Richard Williams trained his daughters to become two of the best players in the world, despite having never played the sport. He remarked that "the blueprint was already there. I just had to follow it," with regard to the detailed plan Richard had developed for his daughters. Naomi Osaka says her parents, Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka, are her biggest fans. They helped shape her tennis career, as well as her life off the court. Tamaki met Francois in Japan when she was in high school and he was in college. The two dated in secret for years, and Tamaki's family didn't speak to her for about a decade and a half when they learned of her relationship with Francois. The couple moved to Long Island to live with Francois' family when Naomi was 3 (she was born in Osaka). But the family reconnected with Tamaki's family in 2008. Her older sister Mari also played tennis. Naomi's older sister Mari was also a professional tennis player. The two sisters are extremely close and best friends off the court—and they play doubles on the court, too. In March of 2021, Mari wrote on Instagram: "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." Naomi's father started coaching her when she was young. Francois watched videos and had his daughters hit thousands of balls a day. The family later moved to Florida for training opportunities, and Francois still follows his daughters' training and matches closely. #OsakaSisters #NaomiOsaka #MariOsaka #LeonardFrancois #TamakiOsaka #VenusWilliams #SerenaWilliams #RichardWilliams #Haiti #Ayiti #Osaka #Japan #Tennis #WomensTennisAssociation #WTA #GrandSlam #USOpen #AustralianOpen ✨👉🏾 Kindly FOLLOW Our New Page @wonderwombman2 ✨🧡 ✨👉🏾 (DM For Promo Prices) 📬 https://www.instagram.com/p/CXM83PZluXb/?utm_medium=tumblr
