Naomi Osaka proudly flaunts her Haitian heritage amid Citi DC Open campaign

Four-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has always shown pride in her roots. Osaka was born to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother. She has always been vocal about the importance of representation, and Tuesday’s post reiterates her ongoing commitment.

On Tuesday, Osaka shared an image featuring multiple items adorned with the Haitian flag, including shirts, jackets, and bags, all carefully laid out on a tennis court’s turf. The vibrant red and blue colors of Haiti's national flag can be seen front and center.

Among the items seen were a Haiti-flag windbreaker sealed in packaging, cotton shirts marked “Made in Haiti,” and her tennis gear placed beside the symbolic emblems.

Osaka's Instagram story

Osaka is currently playing at the 2025 Citi DC Open. She won her first match 6-2, 7-5 against Yulia Putintseva. Next up on Wednesday, she is scheduled to face Britain's Emma Raducanu in the Round of 16 women's singles matchup.

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Naomi Osaka defines her identity through heritage.

Over the years, Naomi Osaka has openly spoken about her multicultural upbringing shaping her values, voice, and sense of purpose. Osaka, who was born in Japan, has always celebrated her father's Haitian roots. In an interview following a match at the 2018 Australian Open, Osaka embraced her heritage, saying:

"Of course I’m really honored to be playing for Japan, and… my dad’s side is Haitian, so represent."

Moreover, in a separate interview from June 2022, Osaka described her personality, highlighting both Japanese and Haitian heritage. She said:

"I can feel myself having different characteristics from each parent, which directly reflect the nationalities. I am quite soft-spoken, which is definitely from my Japanese side, but I think my fierce competitiveness comes from my Haitian side."

The words were part of her photoshoot with Dazed magazine, highlighting both of her parents' roots. Talking about it, Osaka said:

"I’ve always wanted to do a fashion centered shoot that incorporated my different cultures and to see it come to life is beyond cool," Osaka wrote.

Naomi Osaka has often traveled to Jacmel, Haiti. In 2019, she reaffirmed her connection to her Haitian roots. There, she was greeted with ceremonial honors and treated like a goodwill ambassador.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua