Naomi Osaka recently expressed her desire to return to Haiti sometime this year. The Japanese WTA icon, a former World No. 1 and four-time Major champion, has roots in the Caribbean country, with her father, Leonard Francois, originally being from Jacmel, a province in southern Haiti.
On Tuesday, Wednesday 17, Osaka took to Threads and wrote:
“I feel like my spirit is telling me I need to go to Haiti soon.”
Osaka’s father Leonard was born in Jacmel, Haiti, but moved to the USA for his higher studies. He eventually met Tamaki Osaka in Japan as a visiting college student. The two fell in love and subsequently married. The couple later gave birth to daughters Mari and Naomi and relocated to the USA.
Inspired by Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard, Leonard began teaching tennis to his daughters despite not having played the sport professionally. Osaka has been to Haiti in the past. For instance, she was warmly welcomed in Haiti on her 2019 visit to the Caribbean nation and reflecting on her experience there, Osaka told Miami Herald:
“It was really one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever had, if not the warmest. For me it meant a lot because it’s my Dad’s motherland, and I’ve been to Japan so many times but I haven’t really been to Haiti as much, so just to see everyone being so kind and welcoming was really incredible, and humbling.”
“It Really Hurts” – Naomi Osaka’s Reaction To Earthquake That Rocked Haiti In 2021
On August 14, 2021, an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude hit Haiti, leading to widespread devastation in the country. Thousands died in the tragedy, while an estimated 650,000 individuals needed assistance. Osaka was distraught when she found out about the disaster and the Japanese tennis star laid bare the pain she felt via an emotional post on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break. I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we’ll keep rising.”
On the tennis front, Osaka is sidelined right now due to a recurring left abdominal injury, which flared up at the 2026 Australian Open. Her most recent competitive outing came in a second-round win over Sorana Cirstea at the hardcourt Major, following which she withdrew from the event in the buildup to her third-round outing.
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