All you need to know about Leonard Francois, Naomi Osaka’s father

All you need to know about Leonard Francois, Naomi Osaka’s father

Lenah Ann
updated at September 15, 2023 at 10:48 AM

Naomi Osaka's father, Leonard François, is a well-known legend who took it upon himself to train her two daughters to become professional tennis players. His fame skyrocketed following his daughter's achievements in the tennis world. Her daughter Naomi became the number one tennis player and one of the highest-paid in the franchise. Here is everything about Leonard François.

Leonard François
Leonard Osaka poses with Naomi holding the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup during the Women's Australian Open media opportunity at Brighton Beach on 27 January 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Julian Finney
Source: Getty Images

Who is Leonard François' daughter, Naomi Osaka? She is a Japanese professional tennis player who made the headlines when she was ranked world No. 1 in the Women's Tennis Association in the singles category. She holds the record as the first Asian tennis player to take home the title and is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Leonard François' profile and bio summary

Full name

Leonard Maxime Francois

Age

Assumed to be in his 40s (as of September 2023)

Place of birth

Jacmel, Haiti

Nationality

Haitian

Ethnicity

Mixed

Religion

Christianity

Relationship status

Married

Spouse

Tamaki Osaka

Children

Tamaki Osaka

Height

6 feet or 183 centimetres

Hair colour

Black

Eye colour

Dark brown

Education

Tennis coach, entrepreneur

Profession

New York University

What is Leonard François' age?

Although the renowned tennis coach has not revealed much details about his age, various online sources speculate that he was born in the 1980s in Jacmel, Haiti. Thus, as of September 2023, he is approximately above 40 years old.

What is Leonard François' nationality and ethnicity?

The entrepreneur is a Haitian national of mixed ethnicity. He is 6 feet or 183 centimetres tall with black hair and dark brown eyes. According to various sources, he attended New York University.

Leonard François' photos
Naomi of Japan listens to her father, Leonard Francois, during practice on day 2 of the National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium on 7 August 2022 in Toronto, Ontario. Photo: Robert Prange
Source: Getty Images

What is Leonard François' net worth?

As of September 2023, the famous tennis coach's net worth is yet to be disclosed. However, his daughter, Naomi, has an estimated net worth of approximately $51.1 million, according to Forbes as of 2023 with an annual salary of $1.1 million.

Is Leonard François married?

Leonard François' spouse is Tamaki Osaka, who is a Japanese national. The couple met in the 90s, and despite all odds, they ended up dating and eventually tied the knot. Due to their different cultural backgrounds, they have faced many challenges in their relationship.

Tamaki was raised in a conservative Japanese family, and thus, the couple had to hide their relationship since, at the time, interracial relationships were forbidden in the country. When they finally revealed their relationship, Tamaki's father accused her of tarnishing the family.

The duo share two children, Mari Osaka, born on 3 April 1996, and Naomi, born on 16 October 1997. Their daughters are professional tennis players who learnt the sport from their father.

While their father coached and home-schooled them, their mother, Tamaki, worked hard to provide for the family, and in doing so, they became formidable in the tennis world and are now among the best, with numerous titles and achievements to their name.

Naomi Osaka and Leonard François

As expected, many will think that Naomi started to play tennis as a hobby, but that is not the case. She started training with her sister under the influence of their father, who wanted them to be sports professionals.

Drawing inspiration from the Williams sisters, he sorted out how to make his children great, and so he trained them on how to play the sport following Richard's blueprint, Serena and Venus Williams's father.

The family shifted to Florida after the two daughters learned the fundamentals, and at some point, Naomi was irritated by his father's instructions. However, she had a reliable support system from both her parents.

Is Leonard François on social media?

The famous legend is not on any social media platform. However, his photos have been posted by her daughter Naomi on various pages such as Instagram and X.

To see Leonard François' photos, follow his daughter Naomi under the handle @naomiosaka on Instagram, where she has more than 2.7 million followers and on X(Twitter) under the handle @naomiosaka with over 1.1 million followers.

Naomi Osaka's father, Leonard François
Naomi is seen with her father, Leonard, during a practice session ahead of the 2019 WTA finals at Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre on 26 October 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Photo: Lintao Zhang
Source: Getty Images

Did François face racism?

According to Japanese customs back in the 90s, they were not supposed to marry from other races. When Tamaki married her husband, her father accused her of tarnishing the family's reputation. The two families stayed away from each other until 2008 when they reunited after Taki was alienated by her family.

Leonard François has been a vital ingredient in shaping his daughter's career in the tennis industry. His achievements are worth mentioning; through his daughters, his hard work, determination, commitment to his family, and coaching skills have paid off. With the world recognition that he gained when his daughter became the world champion, it is without a doubt that most people want to know more about him.

READ ALSO: Arsenal player salaries: Is Saka the highest-paid Gunner at the moment?

Sports Brief has compiled an article detailing Arsenal players' salaries and if Saka is the highest-paid Gunner at the moment. Mikel Arteta has done an excellent job transforming Arsenal to a level capable of being at the top of the English Premier League table.

The legendary coach has produced formidable players such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus. Arsenal players' salaries motivate their performance in addition to their discipline, coordination and good managerial skills.

Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.