Naomi Osaka: podcast appearances and interviews

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player born on October 16, 1997. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association for 25 weeks starting in January 2019, becoming the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. Osaka has secured seven career singles titles, including four Grand Slam victories: two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open. She is the first Japanese player to win a major singles title. Born in Japan to a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother, Osaka has lived and trained in the United States since she was three years old. She gained prominence at age 16 when she defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur in her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 Stanford Classic. Two years later, she reached her first WTA final at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and entered the top 50 of the WTA rankings. Osaka made her breakthrough in 2018 by winning her first Tour title at Indian Wells and defeating Serena Williams in the US Open final. After winning the Australian Open in early 2019 and ascending to the world No. 1 ranking, she continued to secure major titles before experiencing personal challenges in 2021, which included a period of depression and an eventual pause from competition. She took maternity leave in 2023 and returned to professional play in 2024. Osaka is also recognized for her activism, notably supporting Black Lives Matter and being named among the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in multiple years. Her powerful and aggressive playing style features a serve that can reach speeds of 201 kilometers per hour.