Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Naomi Osaka

Discover the career path of Naomi Osaka, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Naomi Osaka is a prominent Japanese professional tennis player. She achieved the world No. 1 ranking in women's singles for 25 weeks, making her the first Asian player to reach this milestone. Osaka's accomplishments include winning seven WTA Tour-level singles titles, with four being major titles: two Australian Open and two US Open victories. Notably, she is the first Japanese player to ever win a major singles title.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1994: US Open women's singles final

In 2020 at the US Open, Naomi Osaka became the first player to win a US Open women's singles final by coming from a set down since 1994.

1995: Last Japanese Player in Pan Pacific Open Final

In 2016, Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese player to reach the Pan Pacific Open final since Kimiko Date did so in 1995.

2001: Jennifer Capriati's Grand Slam Title

Naomi Osaka was the first player to follow up her first Grand Slam singles title with another at the next such event since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

2008: Racket Sponsor: Yonex

Since 2008, Yonex has supplied Naomi Osaka with rackets. She plays with the Yonex Ezone 98 racket, equipped with Polytour Pro 125 and Rexis 130 strings.

Yonex EZONE 98 Gen8 Tennis Racquet (3/8)

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October 2011: First ITF Qualifying Match

In October 2011, on her 14th birthday, Naomi Osaka played her first qualifying match on the ITF Women's Circuit.

2012: Semifinal at Amelia Island

In 2012, Naomi Osaka's best result of the season came at a $10k event in Amelia Island, where she lost to her sister in the semifinals.

June 2013: ITF Finals in El Paso, Texas

In June 2013, Naomi Osaka secured a spot in the finals at the $25k ITF event in El Paso, Texas.

September 2013: Osaka Turns Professional

In September 2013, Naomi Osaka officially turned professional, just before her 16th birthday, and entered her first WTA Tour qualifying draws.

2013: First ITF Final

In 2013, coached by Patrick Tauma, Naomi Osaka reached her first ITF final.

March 2014: ITF Finals in Irapuato, Mexico

In March 2014, Naomi Osaka reached another ITF final in Irapuato, Mexico, securing a victory over her sister.

2014: WTA Tour Debut and Upset Victory

In 2014, Naomi Osaka qualified for her first WTA Tour main draw at the Stanford Classic and upset world No. 19 Samantha Stosur in her debut match.

2014: Training at Harold Solomon's Academy

In 2014, Naomi Osaka spent seven months training at an academy run by Harold Solomon, where she defeated Sam Stosur for her first WTA match win.

2015: Serena Williams' Grand Slam Win

Naomi Osaka was the first woman to win consecutive major singles titles since Serena Williams in 2015.

2016: New Coach after US Open Loss

Following her loss at the 2016 US Open, where she could not convert a 5–1 lead in the third set, the Japan Tennis Association helped arrange for David Taylor to be her new coach.

2016: First WTA Final at Pan Pacific Open

In 2016, Naomi Osaka reached her first career WTA final at the Pan Pacific Open, marking one of the first instances where her strategy of winning long rallies proved successful.

2016: US Open Loss

Naomi Osaka faced Madison Keys in the US Open in 2016 but lost the match.

2016: Representation by IMG

Since 2016, Naomi Osaka has been represented by the IMG management company.

2017: Switched Coaches to Sascha Bajin

After the 2017 season, Naomi Osaka switched coaches to Sascha Bajin, who had previously served as a hitting partner to top players such as Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Caroline Wozniacki.

2017: Fed Cup debut for Japan

In 2017, Naomi Osaka debuted for Japan in the Fed Cup, while the team competed in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I. Japan won all nine of their rubbers to advance out of their round-robin pool.

2018: Japan defeats Kazakhstan to advance

In 2018, Japan was able to defeat Kazakhstan in the same group to advance to the 2018 World Group II Play-offs with Osaka absent.

2018: Breakthrough Season with Improved Mental Approach

In 2018, Naomi Osaka credited improving her mental approach and cutting down on unforced errors for her breakthrough season. She noted a significant improvement in her mental game and consistency at the Wuhan Open.

2018: Hopman Cup debut

In 2018, Naomi Osaka made her Hopman Cup debut with Yūichi Sugita, marking Japan's first appearance at the exhibition tournament since 2001. They lost all three of their ties, with Osaka's only match win coming in singles against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

2018: US Open Victory

In 2018, Naomi Osaka won the US Open, defeating Serena Williams in the final. The match was controversial due to a dispute between Williams and the umpire.

2019: Promotion to World Group II

In 2019, Japan earned promotion to World Group II in the Fed Cup after Osaka won her opening match against Heather Watson and the team won the decisive doubles match.

2019: High Endorsement Earnings

In 2019, Naomi Osaka earned an estimated $16 million in endorsements, placing her second among female athletes behind Serena Williams.

2019: Return to Grass Courts

In 2019, Naomi Osaka returned to grass courts for the first time since 2019 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

2019: Split with Sascha Bajin

Shortly after her 2019 Australian Open title, Naomi Osaka surprisingly split with Sascha Bajin, saying, she "wouldn't put success over [her] happiness." She hired Jermaine Jenkins to be her new coach from March until October and temporarily replaced him with her father in September.

2019: Apparel Sponsor: Nike

Since 2019, Nike has been Naomi Osaka's apparel sponsor, replacing Adidas. Osaka also has a clothing collection with Nike featuring her monogram logo.

2020: Loss at the Olympics

At the 2020 Olympics, Naomi Osaka lost in the third round of the competition.

2020: Hired Wim Fissette as Coach

At the start of the 2020 season, Naomi Osaka hired Wim Fissette as her coach.

2020: Highest-Paid Female Athlete

In 2020, Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid female athlete of all time, earning $37.4 million, including $34 million in endorsements. She was also the 29th highest-paid athlete overall.

2020: Activism and US Open Masks

In 2020, Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Cincinnati Open to raise awareness for the police shooting of Jacob Blake. At the US Open, she wore masks displaying the names of African Americans killed, highlighting Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Tamir Rice.

2020: US Open Title

In 2020, Naomi Osaka won the US Open, securing her second US Open title in three years.

January 2021: Named Brand Ambassador

In January 2021, Naomi Osaka was named the brand ambassador for Tag Heuer watches and Louis Vuitton. She also appeared in their Spring-Summer 2021 campaign.

March 2021: Osaka Speaks Out Against Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

In March 2021, Naomi Osaka spoke out against anti-Asian hate crimes.

May 2021: Refusal to attend press conferences at French Open

In May 2021, Naomi Osaka refused to participate in required press conferences during the French Open, resulting in a $15,000 fine and a threat of expulsion from the tournament.

June 2021: Brand Ambassador for Panasonic

In June 2021, Panasonic announced the signing of Naomi Osaka as a brand ambassador. She is a promoter of the "Panasonic Green Impact" initiative alongside Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen.

September 2021: Loss, racket throwing, and indefinite break at US Open

In September 2021, Naomi Osaka lost to Leylah Fernandez at the US Open. During the match, she threw her racket multiple times and received a code violation. Following this, Osaka announced she was taking an indefinite break from tennis and later mentioned she was in therapy.

2021: Contract Expiration with IMG

At the end of 2021, Naomi Osaka's contract with IMG expired, leading to stalled renewal talks and her decision to form her own sports agency, Evolve, in partnership with Stuart Duguid.

2021: Co-ownership of North Carolina Courage

In 2021, Naomi Osaka became a co-owner of the North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League.

2021: Withdrawal from French Open

In 2021, Naomi Osaka withdrew in the Second Round of 2021 French Open.

2021: Australian Open Title

In 2021, Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open, claiming her second Australian Open title and becoming one of three players in the Open Era to win her first four Grand Slam finals.

May 2022: Formation of sports agency Evolve

In May 2022, Naomi Osaka announced she is partnering with her agent, Stuart Duguid, to form her own sports agency, Evolve, after being represented by IMG for six years.