Naomi Osaka shared her emotions about the violence going in Haiti at the moment, a country she shares a deep history with. The four-time Grand Slam champion’s father Leonard hails from the country, and made sure Osaka was aware of significance of the culture although she represents Japan on the global stage.
At the moment, Haiti is in the middle of a major political turmoil. On July 2, the United Nation declared that the Caribbean nation has been taken over by gangs, to the point that they have almost seized control of the capital.
In a speech to the Security Council, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Ghada Fathy Waly said:
“Southern Haiti, which until recently was insulated from the violence, has seen a sharp increase in gang-related incidents. And in the east, criminal groups are exploiting land routes, including key crossings like Belladere and Malpasse, where attacks against police and customs officials have been reported.”
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Naomi Osaka, who is currently in action at Wimbledon, has been paying attention to the unfortunate development, and spoke about the situation at her recent press conference.
“I'm aware of the situation. My father was in Haiti, although he's here with me now, for which I'm very grateful. Every time I hear news about Haiti, my heart breaks. I feel like an injustice is happening. I think people have a negative image of Haiti, but it's one of the most beautiful places in the world," Naomi Osaka said.
The Japanese also gave a shoutout to Arthur Ashe, who played a key role as an activist using his platform as a globally recognized tennis player.
"Arthur Ashe was a pioneer in all these issues. It would have been incredible to work alongside such an exemplary person, a figure to look up to in the locker room. He was always a classy guy, and he did some truly incredible things in his career,” she said.
Naomi Osaka has reached the third round at Wimbledon 2025
On the tennis court, Naomi Osaka has had a solid Wimbledon campaign so far, reaching the third round. The former World No. 1 defeated Talia Gibson and Katerina Siniakova in the first two rounds, and will next take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Speaking at the press conference about her run so far, Osaka was cautiously optimistic, stating that she was just trying to stay in the moment and not think too far ahead.
"I had a conversation with Patrick [Mouratoglou] before this tournament about our expectations, so I'm literally taking everything from a shared perspective, without trying to think too much about the upcoming rounds. I don't think about my chances; I just hope to play many more matches," Naomi Osaka said.
"It's clear that this year I feel more comfortable on grass, I move a little better, but the last two seasons I was afraid to move. When I was younger, I had a negative experience; I strained my knee, which took me a couple of years to get over. I definitely feel more comfortable now,” she added.
In fact, Osaka has a more than decent chance of reaching her first semifinal at Wimbledon this year considering how the draw has fallen apart around her.
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