Naomi Osaka’s mother, Tamaki Osaka, made a rare public appearance at the 2026 US Open and quickly became a talking point for her striking outfit. Tamaki watched her daughter practice at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on August 27. She wore a red minidress with matching lipstick, long black gloves, red earrings, oversized sunglasses and Nike Air Max Plus “Swarovski – Sunset” sneakers. The look drew praise from tennis fans, adding a fashion moment to Naomi’s US Open preparations.
Who is Naomi Osaka’s mother Tamaki Osaka?
Tamaki Osaka was born in Nemuro, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. She later lived in Sapporo, where she met Leonard Francois, a Haitian college student visiting Japan. Their relationship faced opposition from Tamaki’s family because of their interracial marriage. The couple eventually moved to Osaka and married.Tamaki and Leonard welcomed two daughters, Mari and Naomi. Both girls were given their mother’s surname, Osaka. The family later moved to the United States when Naomi was young, where her father began coaching the sisters in tennis. The move gave Mari and Naomi more opportunities to train as they worked toward professional careers.Tamaki played an important role away from the tennis court. According to Nippon.com, she worked in Japan before moving to the United States so her daughters could train to become professional tennis players. Later accounts of the family have also highlighted the work she did to support their training and family life.Mari Osaka went on to play professional tennis before retiring from the sport, while Naomi became a four-time Grand Slam champion.Tamaki has usually kept a low profile, making her appearance at the US Open stand out even more. Sitting courtside, she watched Naomi work on her game while drawing attention of her own with her bold style.Fans were quick to praise the look.One fan posted: “Mother and daughter are fashionistas!”Another commented: “Oh my God!”A third wrote: “Mama Osaka is slaying it too.”This fan said: “Smart and Fashionable.”That one added: “What a Diva.”A comment read: “Oh she’s fab.”And another tennis fan wrote: “This might be in the top 5 best pictures ever in tennis.”
Naomi Osaka and Tamaki Osaka share a love of fashion
Tamaki’s US Open appearance also brought attention to something Naomi has made clear over the years: fashion is an important part of her life outside tennis.Naomi has used her tournament outfits to express her personality, culture and creative interests. She has also spoken about why she enjoys putting thought into what she wears around matches.Speaking to British Vogue, Naomi said:“I like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling. Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world.“The fact that people care about it and are excited to see what’s next is also pretty cool.“I think everyone has the capacity to have multiple interests or hobbies and passions.“Two of mine are tennis and fashion; the next person might like painting and hiking, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”That connection between tennis and fashion has been especially visible during Naomi’s 2026 season. Her outfits at major tournaments have continued to attract attention, including a kimono-inspired look at Wimbledon.At the US Open, however, it was her mother who briefly stole the fashion spotlight. Tamaki’s red dress and bold accessories stood out from the sidelines as Naomi prepared for another appearance at the tournament she won in 2018 and 2020.