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, a first for an Asian player. She has secured seven career singles titles, including four Grand Slam victories: two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open. Notably, she holds the distinction of being the first Japanese player to win a major singles title, solidifying her place as a significant figure in the sport.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2001: Japan's first appearance at the Hopman Cup since 2001

Naomi Osaka made her Hopman Cup debut in 2018. 2018 was the first appearance at the exhibition tournament for Japan since 2001.

2008: Yonex Racket Sponsorship

Since 2008, Yonex has supplied Naomi Osaka with rackets. She plays with the Yonex Ezone 98 racket.

Yonex EZONE 98 Gen8 Tennis Racquet (3/8)

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October 2011: Played first qualifying match on ITF Women's Circuit

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

2012: Reached semifinals at Amelia Island 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 final at 25k event in El Paso

In June 2013, Naomi Osaka reached a final at the 25k level event in El Paso, Texas.

September 2013: Turned professional

In September 2013, shortly before turning 16 years old, Naomi Osaka turned professional and entered her first WTA Tour qualifying draws.

2013: First ITF Final

In 2013, Naomi Osaka reached her first ITF final under the coaching of Patrick Tauma, one of her early coaches after she began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit.

March 2014: Reached final at 25k event in Irapuato, Mexico

In March 2014, Naomi Osaka reached the final at a 25k event in Irapuato, Mexico, where she also achieved a victory over her sister.

2014: Defeated Samantha Stosur at Stanford Classic

In 2014, Naomi Osaka gained prominence at age 16 by defeating former US Open champion Samantha Stosur in her WTA Tour debut at the Stanford Classic.

2014: Qualified for first WTA Tour main draw at Stanford Classic

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

2014: Training with Harold Solomon

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

2015: First appearance in a tournament below Tour-level since 2015

After an early loss in Madrid, Naomi Osaka entered the minor-league Challenger Tour WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo tournament in 2015, her first appearance in a tournament below Tour-level since 2015.

2015: Reached two high-level finals

In 2015, Naomi Osaka reached two high-level finals: the 75k Kangaroo Cup in Japan and the 50k Surbiton Trophy in England. She also won the Rising Stars Invitational at the WTA Finals.

2016: Coaching Change

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 Career WTA Final

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

2016: IMG Representation

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

2017: Switch 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. With Bajin, Osaka won her first Premier Mandatory title and two Grand Slam singles titles.

2017: Fed Cup Debut

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

2017: Hired Sascha Bajin as coach

In late 2017, Naomi Osaka hired Sascha Bajin to be her coach, marking a significant change in her training regimen.

2018: Breakthrough Season Mental Improvements

In 2018, Naomi Osaka credited improving her mental approach and reducing unforced errors for her breakthrough season. She noted these changes at the Wuhan Open, attributing some of them to her coach Sascha Bajin.

2018: Won US Open

In 2018, Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams in the final of the US Open to win her first major title, becoming the first Japanese woman to win a major singles title.

2018: Return to Fed Cup and Victory Against Great Britain

In 2018, Naomi Osaka returned to the Fed Cup team for Japan and won her opening match against Heather Watson. After Japan won the final rubber, the team earned promotion to World Group II in 2019.

2018: Won first tour title and US Open

In 2018, Naomi Osaka won her first Tour title at the Indian Wells Open and defeated Serena Williams in the final of the US Open.

January 2019: Reached world number 1 ranking

In January 2019, Naomi Osaka was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA, making her the first Asian player to achieve this top ranking in singles.

2019: Promotion to World Group II

In 2019, Naomi Osaka and the Japan Fed Cup team secured promotion to World Group II after winning their tie against Great Britain in 2018.

2019: Return to Grass Courts

In 2019, Naomi Osaka returned to grass courts for the first time since 2019 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. She won her first match and beat Elise Mertens in the first round and then she was defeated by Bianca Andreescu in the quarterfinals. She also made it to the second round at Wimbledon before losing to Emma Navarro.

2019: Won Australian Open and reached world No. 1

In early 2019, Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open and achieved the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.

2019: Split with Sascha Bajin

Shortly after her 2019 Australian Open title, Naomi Osaka split with Sascha Bajin and hired Jermaine Jenkins as her new coach from March until October. She temporarily replaced him with her father in September.

2019: Nike Apparel Sponsor

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

2020: Lost in third round at Olympics

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

2020: Hiring Wim Fissette

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

2020: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

In 2020, Naomi Osaka was named a Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for her activism. She was also honored as one of the Time 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.

2020: Activism and Protests

In 2020, Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Cincinnati Open to raise awareness for the police shooting of Jacob Blake, leading to the postponement of matches. At the US Open, she wore masks with the names of African Americans killed, including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She also attended protests of the murder of George Floyd.

2020: Won second US Open title

In 2020, Naomi Osaka won her second US Open title, becoming the first player to win a US Open women's singles final by coming from a set down since 1994.

January 2021: Brand Ambassador for Tag Heuer and Louis Vuitton

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

March 2021: Osaka spoke out against anti-Asian hate crimes

In March 2021, Naomi Osaka spoke out against anti-Asian hate crimes, raising awareness on the issue.

May 2021: Refused press conferences during French Open

In May 2021, Naomi Osaka refused to participate in required press conferences during the French Open, leading to a $15,000 fine and threat of expulsion. She later withdrew from the event on May 31 to restore her mental health.

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 Michael Phelps and Nathan Chen.

September 2021: Lost to Leylah Fernandez at US Open

In September 2021, Naomi Osaka lost to Leylah Fernandez at the US Open. She threw her racket and received a code violation, later announcing an indefinite break from the sport and starting therapy.

2021: Contract with IMG expired

At the end of 2021, Naomi Osaka's contract with IMG expired after six years of representation.

2021: Became co-owner 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: Tokyo Olympics

In 2021, Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. Ranked 2nd in the world, she lost in the 3rd round to Markéta Vondroušová.

2021: Miami Open Final

In 2021, Naomi Osaka reached her first final since the 2021 Australian Open at the Miami Open after defeating Belinda Bencic in the semifinals. As the 77th-ranked player, she became the lowest-ranked finalist in the tournament's history. However, she lost in straight sets to Iga Świątek in the final.

2021: Won second Australian Open title

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

2021: First Title Since 2021 Australian Open

Naomi Osaka achieved her first title since the 2021 Australian Open, winning the WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo tournament in 2021 by defeating Kaja Juvan in the final. This marked her first tournament victory on clay.

May 2022: Announced formation of sports agency, Evolve

In May 2022, Naomi Osaka announced that she and her agent, Stuart Duguid, would form their own sports agency, Evolve, in which they would have equity stakes.

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: Return to Professional Tennis

In September 2022, Naomi Osaka made her return to professional tennis at the Brisbane International after a break. She won her first match since September 2022 against Tamara Korpatsch before losing to Karolína Plíšková in the second round.

2022: Launched Hana Kuma media company

In 2022, Naomi Osaka and Stuart Duguid launched Hana Kuma, a media and production company in partnership with TheSpringHill Company.

2022: Evolve Sports Management Agency

In 2022, Naomi Osaka left IMG to set up her own sports management agency, Evolve, alongside her agent, Stuart Duguid.

2022: Furthest run in a major

Naomi Osaka reached her furthest run in a major since the 2022 Australian Open when she competed in the 2025 Australian Open. This boosted her ranking to world No. 42.

2023: Hana Kuma spun off independently

In 2023, Hana Kuma, the media and production company launched by Naomi Osaka and Stuart Duguid, spun off independently after a $5 million fundraising round.

January 2024: Hopes to return to tennis

In January 2024, Osaka expressed her hope to return to tennis at the Australian Open after having her child.

September 13, 2024: End of Coaching Relationship with Wim Fissette

On September 13, 2024, Naomi Osaka announced the end of her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette.

September 2024: Patrick Mouratoglou as Coach

In September 2024, Naomi Osaka added Patrick Mouratoglou as her coach.

2024: Paris Olympics First Round Loss

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Naomi Osaka experienced a first-round loss to Angelique Kerber, who was playing in the final tournament of her career.

2024: Withdrawal from Australian Open

Days before the Australian Open in 2024, Naomi Osaka announced her withdrawal from the championships as she was expecting her first child with rapper Cordae. She confirmed she would return for the 2024 Australian Open and later announced her comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International.

2024: Hana Kuma partnered with LPGA

In 2024, Hana Kuma announced a partnership with the LPGA to create a brand building program for female golfers.

2024: Returned to competition

In 2024, Naomi Osaka returned to professional tennis competition after maternity leave.

2025: Auckland Open Final and Australian Open

In 2025, Naomi Osaka reached her first final since 2022 at the Auckland Open, but retired due to injury. At the Australian Open in 2025, she defeated Caroline Garcia and Karolína Muchová before retiring against Belinda Bencic.