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.

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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.

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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Krutik Jain

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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