Mari Osaka is a tennis player who is also recognized as the older sister of tennis star, Naomi Osaka. The two sisters grew up playing tennis together and their father hoped they could be something like the Williams sisters or something more.
Unfortunately, injuries had not allowed Mari to rise to the same level as Osaka even though she was the better of the two when they were little. Here are all the details you want to know about her.
Biography of Mari Osaka
It was on April 3, 1996, that Mari Osaka was born in Osaka, Japan to a Haitian father, Leonard Francois, and a Japanese mother, Tamaki Osaka as their first child. 18 months after the birth of Mari, her younger sister, was also born in Osaka also.
When the two sisters were still toddlers, their father watched the broadcast of the Venus and Serena on TV. Immediately, he decided he wanted his daughters to be great tennis players. Leonard started teaching his girls to play tennis himself for a little while in Japan before he decided America would afford them a better opportunity to learn the sport.
In the states, while other children went to regular schools, the Osaka girls were homeschooled and then coached tennis by their father who had once played tennis although not to the professional level.
She made her WTA tour debut in 2014 at the Bank of the West Classic where she teamed up with Marina Shamayko. The ladies lost in the first round. It was until 2019 that she made her WTA singles debut at the Miami Open thanks to a wildcard.
Mari Osaka’s Family
Mari came from a family that is pretty interesting, being a black woman and Japanese at the same time. When her father met her mother in Japan and fell in love, her maternal grandfather who was about arranging a marriage for Tamaki described the love as a disgrace to the family.
Tamaki would go on to marry Leornard although that meant she became estranged from her family for many years that followed. Close to 15 years later, Tamaki returned to Japan with her two girls to meet her parents and they were accepted.
Mari had family members who are both Haitian and others who are Japanese. Her immediate family is very much into tennis as her father made sure his daughters do not only love the sport but also got involved.
Unknown Facts On Naomi Osaka’s Sister
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1. Mari Osaka was better than Naomi Osaka
Today, Naomi is the one that everyone knows. However, Mari was the better of the two sisters when they began. For many years, Naomi had tried to beat her older sister but it would take a massive 12 years before she got to make it against her.
In the years that followed, continuous injuries forced the career of Mari to slow down in more ways than one could imagine.
2. Her father wants her to represent Japan
Just like Naomi Osaka, Leonard Francois had always wanted his daughters to represent Japan over the United States as well as his home country, Haiti. The reason behind this is that when the girls were in their development stages, the U.S. Tennis Association was not interested in developing them, believing they were not good enough.
He decided they would play for Japan, and the girls had no problem with it as Naomi recently relinquished her American citizenship to play for Japan.
3. She uses her mother’s name
Instead of going with her father’s name, Francois, Mari has decided just like her younger sister, to use her mother’s name, Osaka. It is also the name of the place where the two sisters were birthed. The reason behind using the name is not because their father was not there for them, but it was something he has always been comfortable with.
She stated that changing using the name of her mother instead of that of her father was for “practical purpose” citing the early years they spent in Japan before moving to the States.
4. What is her height and weight?
The exact height of Mari Osaka is not known, neither is her weight. What is known, however, is that she stands shorter than her sister who has a height of 5 feet 11 inches.
5. Is she married?
Osaka has ensured that her private life remains completely hidden from the public. Hence, no information is known about her love life, whether she is dating anyone now or if she has ever dated anyone in the past.
What s known, however, is that she is not a married woman.
Net worth of Mari Osaka
As regards Mari Osaka’s net worth, she is estimated to be worth over $1 million. She has made her fortune from her career as a tennis player even though she has not recorded any title to her name. That said, Mari has cashed in $92,685 in prize money thus far. Her earning is mostly from the many endorsement deals that she has had.
Complete Profile of Maria Osaka
| Mari Osaka | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mari Osaka |
| Date of Birth | 3 April 1996 |
| Age | 24 years |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Nationality | Haitian, Japanese |
| Birth place | Osaka, Japan |
| Ethnicity | Of Haitian and Japanese root(Blasian) |
| Profession | Professional Tennis player |
| Education | Elmont Alden Terrace Primary School |
| Father | Leonard Francois |
| Mother | Tamaki Osaka |
| Siblings | Sister-Naomi Osaka |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Spouse/Partner | NA |
| Boyfriend | NA |
| Kids | NA |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Estimated Net Worth: | $1 Million |
| Source of net worth | Tennis |
| Height | NA |
| Weight | NA |
| Eye color | black |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Social media | Instagram |
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