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 highly accomplished Japanese professional tennis player, achieving the world No. 1 ranking in women's singles for 25 weeks starting in January 2019, making her the first Asian player to reach this milestone. She has secured seven career singles titles, notably winning four major championships: two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open. She holds the distinction of being the first Japanese player to ever win a major singles title.
1995: Kimiko Date Reached Pan Pacific Open Final
In 1995, Kimiko Date was the last Japanese player to contest the final at the Pan Pacific Open before Naomi Osaka in 2016.
2001: Jennifer Capriati Won Grand Slam
Jennifer Capriati was the last player to follow up her first Grand Slam singles title with another at the next such event before Naomi Osaka in 2019.
2008: Yonex Racket Sponsorship Since 2008
Since 2008, the Japanese sporting equipment manufacturer Yonex has supplied Osaka with rackets. She plays with the Yonex Ezone 98 racket, equipped with Polytour Pro 125 and Rexis 130 strings.
October 2011: Played First Qualifying Match
In October 2011, on her 14th birthday, Naomi Osaka played her first qualifying match on the ITF Women's Circuit.
2012: Best Result at 10k Event
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: Reached First 25k Final in El Paso
In June 2013, Naomi Osaka reached one of her first two finals at the 25k level, held in El Paso, Texas.
September 2013: Turned Professional
In September 2013, Naomi Osaka turned professional shortly before turning 16 years old.
2013: First ITF Final
In 2013, Osaka reached her first ITF final while being coached by Patrick Tauma.
March 2014: Reached 25k Final in Irapuato
In March 2014, Naomi Osaka reached another 25k final in Irapuato, Mexico, and included a victory over her sister Mari.
2014: Joined Harold Solomon Tennis Academy
In 2014, Naomi Osaka moved to the Harold Solomon Tennis Academy to further her training.
2014: Defeated Samantha Stosur in WTA Debut
In 2014, at the age of 16, Naomi Osaka gained prominence by defeating former US Open champion Samantha Stosur in her WTA Tour debut at the Stanford Classic.
2014: Qualified for First WTA Main Draw and Upset Samantha Stosur
In the summer of 2014, Naomi Osaka qualified for her first WTA Tour main draw at the Stanford Classic and upset world No. 19, Samantha Stosur.
2015: First Appearance in a Tournament Below Tour-Level Since 2015
After an early loss in Madrid, Osaka entered the minor-league Challenger Tour WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo tournament, her first appearance in a tournament below Tour-level since 2015.
2015: Reached Two Highest Level Finals and Won Rising Stars Invitational
In 2015, Naomi Osaka reached two high-level finals, including the Kangaroo Cup and the Surbiton Trophy. During the WTA Finals in October, she won the Rising Stars Invitational, defeating Caroline Garcia.
2015: Serena Williams Won Consecutive Major Singles Titles
Serena Williams was the last woman to win consecutive major singles titles before Naomi Osaka in 2019.
2016: David Taylor as New Coach
Following her loss at the 2016 US Open, the Japan Tennis Association helped arrange for David Taylor to be her new coach.
2016: Reached First WTA Final
In 2016, Naomi Osaka reached her first WTA final at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and entered the top 50 of the WTA rankings.
2016: First WTA Final at Pan Pacific Open
In 2016, one of the first instances in which Osaka's strategy of winning long rallies proved successful was when Osaka made her first career WTA final at the 2016 Pan Pacific Open.
2016: IMG Representation Since 2016
Osaka was represented by the IMG management company since 2016.
2017: Switch to Sascha Bajin as Coach
After the 2017 season, Osaka switched coaches to Sascha Bajin.
2017: Maintained Steady Ranking
In 2017, Naomi Osaka maintained a steady ranking, without reaching a new career high. Her ranking fluctuated between No. 44 and No. 68.
2017: Fed Cup Debut for Japan
In 2017, Osaka made her Fed Cup debut for Japan, with the team competing in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I. They advanced out of their round-robin pool, but were not able to advance further despite Osaka winning her singles match.
2018: Japan Defeats Kazakhstan in Fed Cup
In 2018, Japan defeated Kazakhstan in the Fed Cup to advance to the World Group II Play-offs.
2018: Won First Tour Title and US Open
In 2018, Naomi Osaka broke into the upper echelon of women's tennis by winning her first Tour title at the Indian Wells Open, and then defeating Serena Williams in the final of the US Open.
2018: Won US Open
In 2018, Naomi Osaka won her first major title at the US Open by defeating Serena Williams in the final.
January 2019: Reached WTA No. 1 Ranking
In January 2019, Naomi Osaka was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA. She was the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles.
2019: Promotion to World Group II in Fed Cup
In 2019, Japan won their final rubber to earn promotion to World Group II in the Fed Cup.
2019: Nike Apparel Sponsorship
In 2019, Nike became Osaka's apparel sponsor, replacing Adidas. With Nike, she has a clothing collection featuring her monogram logo.
2019: Return to grass courts
In 2019, Osaka returned to grass courts for the first time since 2019 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. She beat Elise Mertens in the first round, reached the quarterfinals, and then lost to Bianca Andreescu. At Wimbledon, she got to the second round before losing to Emma Navarro.
2019: Won Australian Open and Reached World No. 1
In early 2019, Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open and reached the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.
2019: Split with Sascha Bajin
Shortly after her 2019 Australian Open title, Osaka split with Sascha Bajin. She hired Jermaine Jenkins as her new coach from March until October.
2020: Hiring Wim Fissette
At the start of the 2020 season, Osaka hired Wim Fissette.
2020: Olympics loss
In 2020, Naomi Osaka lost in the third round of the Olympics.
2020: Ranked Eighth in Athlete Endorsements and Named Sportsperson of the Year
In 2020, Naomi Osaka ranked eighth among athletes in endorsement income and had the highest-ever annual income of any female athlete. She was also named one of the 2020 Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of the Year for her activism, particularly during her US Open championship run.
2020: Renouncing American Citizenship
In 2020, Osaka renounced her American citizenship to represent Japan at the Olympics.
2020: Activism and Protests
In 2020, Osaka's decision to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open to raise awareness for the Jacob Blake shooting led to the postponement of matches. At the US Open, she wore masks displaying the names of African Americans killed, and she attended protests of the murder of George Floyd.
January 2021: Brand Ambassador for Tag Heuer and Louis Vuitton
In January 2021, Osaka was named the brand ambassador for Tag Heuer watches and Louis Vuitton, and she 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: French Open Controversy and Withdrawal
In May 2021, Naomi Osaka refused to participate in press conferences during the French Open, leading to a $15,000 fine and threat of expulsion. On May 31, 2021, she withdrew from the event for mental health reasons.
June 2021: Panasonic Brand Ambassador
In June 2021, Panasonic announced the signing of Osaka as a brand ambassador for the "Panasonic Green Impact" initiative.
September 2021: US Open loss and break from tennis
In September 2021, Naomi Osaka lost to Leylah Fernandez at the US Open. She exhibited frustration, throwing her racket and receiving a code violation. Subsequently, she announced an indefinite break from tennis and later sought therapy.
2021: First Title Since 2021 Australian Open
At the WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo tournament, Osaka defeated Kaja Juvan in the final, achieving her first title since the 2021 Australian Open and her first tournament victory on clay.
2021: Contract with IMG expired
At the end of 2021, Naomi Osaka's contract with IMG expired after six years of representation.
2021: Won Australian Open
In 2021, Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open, claiming her second Australian Open title.
2021: Tokyo Olympics Performance
In 2021, Osaka, ranked 2nd in the world, lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony and lost in the 3rd round of the Tokyo Olympics to Markéta Vondroušová.
2021: Withdrew before 2nd round at French Open
Naomi Osaka withdrew before the 2nd round at the 2021 French Open.
May 2022: Formed sports agency, Evolve
In May 2022, Naomi Osaka announced that she and her agent, Stuart Duguid, would form their own sports agency, Evolve.
June 20, 2022: Signed Nick Kyrgios as first client
On June 20, 2022, Naomi Osaka announced that she had signed Nick Kyrgios as her first client for her sports agency Evolve.
September 2022: First Professional Match Since September 2022
In September 2022, Osaka played her first professional match since September 2022, defeating Tamara Korpatsch at the Brisbane tournament before losing to Karolína Plíšková.
2022: Establishment of Evolve Sports Management Agency
In 2022, Osaka left IMG to set up her own sports management agency, Evolve, alongside her agent, Stuart Duguid.
2022: Furthest Major Run Since 2022 Australian Open
In 2025, Osaka's performance at the Australian Open was her furthest advance in a major since the 2022 Australian Open, boosting her ranking to world No. 42.
2023: Withdrawal from Australian Open
In 2023, Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open, announcing her pregnancy with rapper Cordae and her intention to return for the 2024 event.
January 2024: Hoped return to tennis
In January 2024, Osaka hoped to return to tennis for the Australian Open.
September 13, 2024: End of Coaching Relationship with Wim Fissette
On September 13, 2024, Osaka announced the end of her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette.
September 2024: Patrick Mouratoglou as Coach
In September 2024, Osaka added Patrick Mouratoglou as her coach.
2024: Loss at 2024 Paris Olympics
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Osaka lost in the first round to Angelique Kerber.
2024: Returned to Competition
In 2024, Naomi Osaka returned to professional tennis competition after taking maternity leave.
2024: Return to Professional Tennis Announced
In 2024, Osaka announced her return to professional tennis at the Brisbane International, preceding the Australian Open.
2025: Auckland Open and Australian Open Performance
In 2025, Osaka started her season at the Auckland Open, reaching her first final since 2022 but retiring due to an abdominal injury. At the Australian Open in 2025, she defeated Caroline Garcia and Karolína Muchová before retiring against Belinda Bencic.
2025: Coached by Tomasz Wiktorowski
In mid-2025, Osaka started being coached by Tomasz Wiktorowski, who previously coached Iga Świątek.
January 2026: Withdrawal from 2026 Australian Open
On January 24, 2026, Osaka withdrew from the 2026 Australian Open due to an abdominal injury.
2026: United Cup Participation
In 2026, Osaka started her season playing for Japan at the United Cup. She lost to Maria Sakkari but defeated Katie Swan, though Japan lost at the group stage.
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