“A person should always constantly love like a mother and care like a dad,” they all say. While this definition may not apply to everyone, Leonard Francois fits the criteria well. Who can overlook the father of World Tennis Champion Naomi Osaka?
Apart from being kind, Leonard is credited with introducing his daughters to the sport of tennis. It’s even more impressive considering he had no prior knowledge of the sport.
Who is Leonard Francois?
Leonard Francois is a tennis coach and the father of pro tennis star Naomi Osaka. Since teaching his two children how to play tennis, Leonard is the cause for Naomi’s success. Naomi is also the current singles champion of the US Open and the Australian Open. She is now ranked number one by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). She won two grand slams in a row ( US open 2018 and American open 2019)
Leonard Francois: Early life and Educational Background
Naomi’s father, Leonard Francois, was one of the persons responsible for her victory, which we shall cover later. When it comes to Leonard, he was born in the little Haitian city of Jacmel. Young Francois, a Haitian native of African ancestry, travelled to New York City, New York, to pursue his studies.
Regrettably, there is no information on the college or anything related to his early years. Similarly, his parents’ and siblings’ names and locations are now unknown.
Leonard Francois: Personal Life
If we see the past, then Leonard Francois’ life was not at all simple and easy, especially when we talk about his marriage with Tamaki Osaka, his true love and partner forever!!
Japan permitted the first wave of foreigners into the nation in the early 1990s. Leonard, a college student, was one of them who went to Japan.
Fortunately, he met his wife, Tamaki, in Sapporo, the city of Hokkaido, Japan’s far north. Tamaki, unlike him, grew up in a traditional household where interracial relationships were disapproved upon. Japan was rigorous about racial purity at the period, and most children learned these views from their parents. Similarly, the village of Nemuro, where Tamaki was born, upheld Tokugawa’s decision.
Leonard Francois: Teaching the Daughters
Leonard devoted his whole time to his children with the express objective of turning them into tennis superstars. While his wife provided financial assistance for the family, Francois’ primary goal was to make them strong and undetected.
Leonard chose to educate his girls rather than send them to an American high school as a result of this. He didn’t want anything to get in the way of their Tennis practice and their studies.
Leonard Francois: Net Worth
Leonard Osaka, the father of former World Champion Naomi Osaka, has not declared his earnings. Francois has been her instructor since she was a youngster and has worked with her till recently. Meanwhile, Naomi, who is currently ranked number ten, has a staggering net worth of $8 million. She also makes roughly $2 million a year.
Leonard François (Naomi’s dad ): “When it comes to the masks for me it feels like she’s standing up for me. she made that decision on her own and it’s the right decision. She’s standing on the right side of history” #NaomiOsaka @naomiosaka @netflix pic.twitter.com/Yyy24wT19o
— Dani 🤎 (@ArchLiliHazMeg) July 17, 2021
Leonard Francois: The Struggling Phase
When his daughter Naomi was three years old, he moved his family back to the United States in 2001, and he began implementing his plan to transform his girls become global stars. In 2006, Leonard Francois transported them to Florida to finish their training.
After five years in New York, he began teaching his children how to play and hit the ball, and he sent them to Pembroke Pines Public Courts to continue their education. Naomi has won several WTA titles as well as a grand slam, defeating one of the ladies that inspired her father to start her and her brother on this adventure.
That’s all for today! Hope you liked reading about the journey of Leonard Francois!! For more updates and reviews stay connected to Stanford Arts Reviews.
