Naomi Osaka is the WTA World #15, a four-time Grand Slam champion, and one of the most significant athletes of her generation for reasons that extend far beyond the tennis court. The 28-year-old has won the US Open (2018, 2020) and the Australian Open (2019, 2021), and her public decision to prioritize mental health over competition changed the global conversation about what athletes owe to themselves versus what they owe to their audience.
When Osaka is locked in, her tennis is as devastating as anyone who has ever played the women’s game. Her serve regularly exceeds 120 mph, among the fastest on tour. Her forehand is struck flat and early with timing that generates pace opponents simply cannot handle. On hard courts, her preferred surface, the combination of power, placement, and aggressive intent creates a level of tennis that matches anyone in the sport’s history. The 2018 US Open final, where she defeated Serena Williams in one of the most emotionally charged matches ever played, announced her as a force that could not be ignored. Back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2019 and 2021 confirmed she was not a one-tournament wonder but a genuine hard-court great.
Then she stepped away. In 2021, Osaka withdrew from Roland-Garros citing depression and anxiety, and the reaction split the sporting world. She was criticized by some for abandoning her professional obligations and praised by others for having the courage to say what many athletes feel but never voice. She took extended breaks from the tour, navigated motherhood, and returned to competitive tennis on her own terms. The comeback has been gradual, with rankings fluctuating as she rebuilds match fitness and competitive sharpness, but the talent that won four Grand Slams has not disappeared. On her best days, the power and conviction in her ball-striking remind everyone why she was World #1.
Born in Osaka, Japan, to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, raised in the United States, and competing under the Japanese flag, Osaka’s identity is itself a statement about the increasingly global nature of modern sport. In 2020 she became the highest-earning female athlete in a single year, with $37.4 million in endorsements, a cultural icon in Japan, and a voice on issues of racial identity and mental health that resonates far beyond tennis.
Osaka will be competing at the 2026 Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Check Japan time to convert match schedules to her home timezone.