Naomi Osaka, born in Japan in 1997 to a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother, moved to the U.S. at age three and became a global tennis sensation. She made history as the first Asian player to hold the world No. 1 ranking (starting in January 2019) and the first Japanese player to win a major singles title, amassing four Grand Slams (two Australian Opens and two US Opens). After breaking through in 2018 by defeating Serena Williams at the US Open, Osaka faced significant personal challenges, including depression that led to her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open and Wimbledon, followed by a maternity leave in 2023 and a return in 2024. Off the court, she is one of the most marketable athletes ever, earning the highest annual income for a female athlete in 2020, and is a prominent activist for Black Lives Matter, earning recognition as a Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2020) and the 2021 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year. She also lit the Olympic cauldron at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and her aggressive playing style features a powerful serve reaching 125 mph.