In our countdown to the Tokyo Olympics we will regularly profile some of the biggest medal contenders at the upcoming quadrennial event. Today we feature one of the biggest current tennis stars who will be a huge home favourite at the Games this time - Naomi Osaka.
Naomi Osaka
Date of Birth: October 16, 1997
Age: 23
Birth Place: Osaka, Japan
Sport: Tennis
Current World Ranking: 2
Major Achievements:
* Winner of 2018 US Open
* Winner of 2019 Australian Open
* Winner of 2020 US Open
* Winner of 2021 Australian Open
Naomi Osaka. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka will be making her Olympic debut in front of her home crowd in Tokyo. Osaka is considered one of the favourites for gold as the event will be played on the surface she loves to play on the most - hard courts. She has won all four of her Grand Slam titles so far playing on hard courts.
The 23-year-old has won a Grand Slam title every year since 2018 and is now being tagged as a player who could become Japan's first-ever Olympic gold medallist in tennis.
Osaka, born to a Haitian father and Japanese mother, has lived and trained in the US since the age of three.
Osaka's playing style is an aggressive and dominant one. In the Australian Open final this year she thrashed Jennifer Brady in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 in just 77 minutes. This was her fourth Grand Slam title.
The Japanese tennis star will return to action after she withdrew from this year's French Open. A controversy erupted over her decision to skip all press conferences at the tournament to protect her mental health. Osaka went on to skip Wimbledon as well. She has been vocal about how players struggle with depression and anxiety and how protecting one's mental health is of paramount importance.
Naomi Osaka. (AP Photo)
The former world number one Osaka said she had suffered "bouts of depression" since winning the first of her four major titles at the 2018 US Open and needed to "take some time away from the court".
It remains to be seen how she deals with the intense pressure and all the fanfare that will certainly surround her when she competes at a home Olympics.
She has been quoted as saying that she feels emotional knowing that she has the opportunity to inspire an entire generation and make her country proud.
Tennis at the Tokyo Olympics will run from July 24 to August 1.
