Tennis - Haiti Observer Blog

Naomi Osaka has already made a history for many reasons. 20-year-old Naomi Osaka became the first to win a Grand Slam singles title from Japan, sealing 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in straight sets in a dramatic US Open final on September 9, 2018, and it is her first Grand Slam title! Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman in 22 years to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam when she defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1 in the last-eight of the US Open. She was barely 12 months old when Serena Williams won her first major title. Osaka has a positive head-to-head record against Williams. She won their only previous meeting six months ago at the Miami Open when the 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena just returned to court following the birth of her first girl child 'Olympia'. Osaka's father, Leonard Francois, is Haitian-born, and her mother, Tamaki Osaka, is Japanese. Naomi can understand Japanese, but isn't able to carry on a full-fledged conversation. Osaka is considered "hāfu," or a person who is of mixed-race in Japan. When Osaka's Japanese grandfather discovered that her mother had become romantically attached to a Black man, he became furious and as a result, her mother became estranged from her family for almost over ten years. Osaka's elder sister Mari is a professional tennis player. Together, the two sisters represent the three cultures they were raised with-- American, Japanese, and Haitian. Mari and Naomi Osaka, the sister duo are often compared with William sisters. Like Venus and Serena Williams before them, Naomi Osaka and Mari Osaka have been playing tennis since childhood. Mari made her debut in 2014, the year after Naomi went pro. Now, the Osaka sisters follow in the footsteps of Venus and Serena Williams.

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The adorable Naomi Osaka discusses her victory over Serena Williams in Grand Slam final.

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At only 17 years old, Victoria Duval, the Haitian American professional player of tennis is off to an impressive start after winning her First-Round Match at the US Open. Her recent victory is a testament to the difference a year can make in a dedicated athlete's life. Just last year, the youngster was disappointed by the loss to Kim Clijsters in straight sets during her first try at the US Open. This time around, she saw her first triumph, over Samantha Stosur of Australia, Champion of The Open in 2011, and Top 15 player, with scores of 5-7, 6-4, and 6-3.

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The young Haitian-American Victoria Duval pulled quite an upset Yesterday (August 27, 2013) at the U.S. Open.

She defeated the 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in the US Open first round tennis tournament. Ranked at No.296, Duval scored a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win against the 11th- Australian. This is actually, her first grand slam victory.

This victory by the 17 year old Haitian-American Victoria Duval over the 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in the US Open is quite remarkable but it gets even more interesting. She had two major ordeals that she already coped with. She experienced the terror of being held hostage by a kidnap gang and almost losing her father in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

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