The New York Times article about Naomi Osaka is a must-read. We love having her at the Evert Tennis Academy.

“Everything about Naomi breaks the mold,” says Kenshi Fukuhara, a producer with Wowow.” Naomi Osaka, U.S. born, currently plays for Japan. Her mother is Japanese while her father is Haitian. She is 5’11” and plays with more power than other Japanese players.

Osaka recently trained at Evert Tennis Academy prior to the summer hardcourt season. Now Osaka won the first round of the US Open and continues to follow in the footprints of the Williams sisters. This is not a coincidence, however, Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois, explained “The blueprint was already there, I just had to follow it.” Osaka has been a great role model not only for female tennis players but also Japanese tennis players. Stuart Duguid, her agent, says. “But I also hope that she’s changed cultural perceptions of multiracial people in Japan. I hope she’s opened the door for other people to follow, not just in tennis or sports, but for all of society. She can be an ambassador for change.”

Click HERE to read the full article.