Naomi Osaka Becomes the First Japanese Woman to Reach Grand Slam Final

Sep. 7, 2018

A Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka beat American Madison Keys and became the first Japanese woman to reach the final at the Grand Slam. Seeded 20th, She earned a 6-2, 6-4 win over Keys. After the game, she said “I really want to play Serena.” and then, “Because she’s Serena!” In the final, she will face Serena Williams. She looked really happy.

Naomi Osaka was born in Osaka, Japan on 1997 October 16th. Her mother is Japanese and her father is Haitian. When she was three years old, she moved to New York. She turned pro in 2013. In 2014, She made her main-draw WTA tour debut, and defeated 2011 U.S. Open champion, Samantha Stosur 2-1. In her Grand Slam debut in January 2016, she reached the third round of the Australian Open. After that, she also reached the third round at the French Open and the U.S. Open. At the 2016 Toray Pan Pacific Open where she was given a wildcard, she reached her first WTA final. She became the first Japanese tennis player to be named 2016 WTA Newcomer of the Year. In March 2018, she won in Indian Wells, which means she became the first Japanese champion in the Premier Mandatory. Now she’s only 20 years old. she’s so talented and has a brilliant future.

By Meg Konishi (Find Your Japan)