Naomi Osaka's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Naomi Osaka. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Naomi Osaka is a highly accomplished Japanese professional tennis player. She achieved the world No. 1 ranking in women's singles, making her the first Asian player to reach this milestone. Osaka has secured seven WTA Tour-level singles titles, highlighted by her four major victories: two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open. Notably, she is the first Japanese player to ever win a major singles title, solidifying her place in tennis history.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1994: US Open Women's Singles Final

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

1995: Kimiko Date's Pan Pacific Open Final

In 1995, Kimiko Date contested the final at the Pan Pacific Open; this was mentioned in the context of Naomi Osaka becoming the first Japanese player to contest the final at the event since Date.

2001: Jennifer Capriati's Grand Slam Win

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 did so in 2001.

March 2014: Second $25k Level Final, Victory Over Mari Osaka

In March 2014, Naomi Osaka reached another final at a $25k level ITF event in Irapuato, Mexico, which included a victory over her sister Mari Osaka.

2014: WTA Tour Debut and Victory

In 2014, at the age of 16, Naomi Osaka made her WTA Tour debut and defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur at the Stanford Classic.

2014: First WTA Main Draw and Upset Victory

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, in her tour-level debut.

2015: Rising in Rankings and WTA Finals Exhibition Win

In 2015, despite not winning another WTA Tour main-draw singles match, Naomi Osaka continued to climb the rankings, reaching two high-level finals. She won the Rising Stars Invitational at the WTA Finals, defeating Caroline Garcia. She finished the year ranked No. 144.

2015: Consecutive Major Titles

Naomi Osaka's Australian Open win in 2019 made her the first woman to win consecutive major singles titles since Serena Williams achieved the feat in 2015.

2016: First WTA Final

In 2016, Naomi Osaka reached her first WTA final at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, which resulted in her entering the top 50 of the WTA rankings.

2018: First Tour Title and US Open Win

In 2018, Naomi Osaka won her first Tour title at the Indian Wells Open. Later in the year, she defeated Serena Williams in the final of the US Open to win her first major title.

2018: US Open Victory

In 2018, Naomi Osaka won her first major title at the US Open, defeating Serena Williams in the final, becoming the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam singles championship. The match was controversial due to a dispute between Williams and the umpire.

2018: Bajin Named WTA Coach of the Year

In 2018, Sascha Bajin was named the inaugural WTA Coach of the Year, after coaching Naomi Osaka.

January 2019: Achieved WTA No. 1 ranking

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

2019: Endorsement Earnings

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

2019: Included in Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2019, Naomi Osaka was included on Time Magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

2019: Time 100 Most Influential People

In 2019, Naomi Osaka was named to the Time 100 list for representing professional tennis well as an excellent role model and a major champion.

2019: Australian Open Win and World No. 1 Ranking

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

2020: Highest-Paid Female Athlete

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

2020: Limited Play and US Open Victory

In 2020, Naomi Osaka played only four tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She won the US Open, becoming the first player to win the women's singles final by coming from a set down since 1994, securing her second US Open title in three years. She skipped the French Open due to a hamstring injury.

2020: Highest-Earning Female Athlete and Activism

In 2020, Naomi Osaka ranked eighth among all athletes in endorsement income and had the highest annual income of any female athlete. She was also recognized as an activist, supporting the Black Lives Matter protests. She was named one of Sports Illustrated's Sportspersons of the Year and included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people.

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 for her activism.

2021: First Title Since the 2021 Australian Open

In 2021, Naomi Osaka achieved her first title since the 2021 Australian Open at the WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo tournament, where she defeated Kaja Juvan in the final, marking her first career tournament victory on clay.

2021: Laureus Award and Olympic Cauldron Lighting

In 2021, Naomi Osaka was the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), she became the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony.

May 2022: Mental Health Journey

In May 2022, Naomi Osaka stated in an interview that, despite ups and downs, she feels very content with her mental health journey. She also returned to therapy after being heckled at the Indian Wells Open and found it helpful.