Get to Know Tennis Star Naomi Osaka’s Parents: All About Their Marriage & More

Leonard Francois, Tamaki Osaka and Naomi Osaka
Sean Zanni / Getty Images for The Osaka Foundation

What To Know

  • Naomi Osaka is currently competing at Wimbledon 2026.
  • Her parents, Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka, share a unique love story.
  • Her dad was also her tennis coach.

Naomi Osaka has won our hearts on the tennis court, so now it’s time to get to know the family that got her to where she is today.

Naomi is a 28-year-old Japanese tennis player currently in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. Ranked as the number one women’s singles player in the world in 2019, this isn’t the first time viewers have been wowed by Naomi’s stunning play. Now that she has become a parent herself, fans have become even more curious about her life off the court. Swooon has all the latest details about Naomi Osaka’s parents, their unique love story, and more.

Who are Naomi Osaka’s parents?

Naomi’s parents are Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka. Leonard is a Haitian-American professional tennis coach who was the driving force behind Naomi’s early career. Tamaki, who is from Japan, also worked to support Naomi’s career. The tennis star told CBS News, “I came from a mom that worked for basically my entire childhood to put me through tennis. My dad, who was with me the entire time. And I knew that they had a really hard time.”

Are Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka still together?

Leonard and Tamaki are still going strong! The couple founded the Osaka Foundation together in 1999, which is “a tennis academy built to help underserved families in Haiti and their children with basic living needs and provide opportunities in sports and education to make a difference.”

Naomi Osaka 2021 French Open

Julian Finney / Getty Images

How did Naomi Osaka’s parents meet?

Leonard and Tamaki met in the 1990s, when he was in college and she was in high school. The two started dating when Leonard visited Japan. However, they decided to keep their relationship a secret from her family. A few years later, when Tamaki was in her 20s, her father started planting seeds about a potential arranged marriage, leading her to reveal that she was dating Leonard. Given her family’s disapproval of their relationship, the couple moved to Osaka to start a new life together.

Do Naomi Osaka’s parents have other kids?

Naomi has an older sister named Mari. She was born one year before Naomi in 1996. When the sisters were young, Leonard and Tamaki moved their family to the United States, where Leonard was inspired by the Williams family to teach his daughters tennis. Serena and Venus, meet Naomi and Mari!

Does Naomi Osaka have kids?

Leonard and Tamaki are grandparents! Naomi gave birth to her daughter Shai in 2023. At the time, Osaka told People, “I still call my mom all the time and knowing that this little person is going to grow up and do the same … I’m excited for it.”

Theo Wargo / Getty Images

Who is the father of Naomi Osaka’s daughter?

Osaka had her firstborn daughter Shai with rapper Cordae. The two had been dating since 2019, and broke up a few years after Shai was born in 2023.

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