Mari Osaka

Mari Osaka
大坂 まり

Country (sports)	Japan
Residence	Florida
Born	(1996-04-03) April 3, 1996 (age 28) Osaka, Japan
Retired	March 9, 2021
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	$90,891
Singles
Career record	196–162
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 280 (May 28, 2018)
Doubles
Career record	4–16
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 907 (April 17, 2017)

Mari Osaka (大坂 まり, Ōsaka Mari, born April 3, 1996) is a Japanese Haitian-American fashion designer,^[1] and former tennis player.^[2]

In her career, she reached four ITF finals. She is the older sister of Naomi Osaka, with whom she has collaborated on several fashion design and art projects.^[3][4][5][6]

Biography

Osaka was born in Japan^{[citation needed]} to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father; shortly thereafter, the family moved to Long Island, New York.^[7] She grew up in Fort Lauderdale.^{[citation needed]}

Osaka made her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic, in the doubles event partnering with Marina Shamayko, losing in the first round to the pair Varvara Lepchenko and Ajla Tomljanović.

She made her WTA Tour singles debut at the 2019 Miami Open, having received a wildcard into the main draw, but lost to Whitney Osuigwe. Osaka announced retirement from professional tennis in early 2021.^[8]

Since retirement, she has focused on her art and fashion design, including co-designing her sister Naomi's Met Gala look^[9] in fall 2021. Osaka's previous artistic work includes creating custom-designed COVID masks for UNICEF^[10] and illustrating the cover for GQ Japan's June 2020 edition featuring her sister.^[11]

In January 2024, Osaka accused her father, Leonard François, of long-term physical abuse.^[12]

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 4 (4 runner–ups)

Legend $25,000 tournaments $10,000 tournaments

Finals by surface Hard (0–2) Clay (0–2)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	Sep 2012	ITF Amelia Island, United States	10,000	Clay	Jamie Loeb	3–6, 5–7
Loss	0–2	May 2017	ITF Goyang, South Korea	25,000	Hard	Peangtarn Plipuech	6–7^(7–9), 0–6
Loss	0–3	Jul 2017	ITF Denain, France	25,000	Clay	Lina Gjorcheska	2–6, 7–5, 6–7^(6–8)
Loss	0–4	Oct 2018	ITF Florence, United States	25,000	Hard	Bianca Andreescu	4–6, 6–2, 3–6

References

1. Hyde, Shelby Ying (September 13, 2021). "Naomi Osaka's Met Gala Vuitton Look Pays Homage to Her Roots". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
2. "Getting to know... Naomi Osaka". Retrieved January 7, 2015.
3. Hyde, Shelby Ying (September 13, 2021). "Naomi Osaka's Met Gala Vuitton Look Pays Homage to Her Roots". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
4. "Naomi and Mari Osaka on Fashion in Tennis and Their New Charity Face Masks". Vogue. July 2, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
5. Cash, Meredith. "Naomi Osaka poked fun at her artistic abilities after botching yet another Australian Open camera lens doodle". Insider. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
6. Tennis.com. "Naomi Osaka enters NFT space with sister Mari". Tennis.com. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
7. Kaufman, Michelle (March 21, 2019). "Mari Osaka loses at Miami Open, gets emotional talking about top-ranked sister Naomi". Miami Herald. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
8. "Mari Osaka, Naomi's Sister, Announces Retirement from Tennis at 24, Says She 'Didn't Enjoy' Journey". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
9. Hyde, Shelby Ying (September 13, 2021). "Naomi Osaka's Met Gala Vuitton Look Pays Homage to Her Roots". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
10. "Naomi and Mari Osaka on Fashion in Tennis and Their New Charity Face Masks". Vogue. July 2, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
11. "Naomi Osaka, Illustrated by her Sister Mari Osaka". Spoon & Tamago. June 9, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
12. https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-next-time-i-m-calling-police-i-will-kill-unless-kill-first-naomi-osaka-s-sister-accuses-father-abuse-emotional-harassment

External links

• Mari Osaka at the Women's Tennis Association
• Mari Osaka at the International Tennis Federation