Leonard Francois is the father of Naomi Osaka, a Japanese professional tennis player who has won both the US Open and the Australian Open. He is a tennis coach.
Leonard Francois is also his daughter’s coach and has been training her since she was a little girl. Leonard is more popular as Naomi’s father than he is as a tennis coach. He became even more famous after his daughter won back-to-back grand slams in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
In the 2018 and 2020 US Open, she defeated Serena Williams. It was her victory over the veteran tennis player that made her even more popular. Leonard Francois has played a role in all of Naomi’s career achievements. Here is a low down of it.
Biography and Profile of Leonard Francois
- Full Name: Leonard Maxime Francois
- Date of Birth: N/A
- Age: N/A
- Place of Birth: Jacmel, Haiti
- Nationality: Haitian
- Ethnicity: African
- Education: New York University
- Occupation: Tennis Coach
- Marital Status: Married
- Spouse: Tamaki Osaka
- Children: Naomi Osaka (daughter), Mari Osaka (daughter)
Leonard Francois’ Background
Leonard Francois is the father of professional tennis players Naomi Osaka and Mari Osaka. He is of Haitian descent and played a significant role in training his daughters during their early years in tennis.
Details of Leonard Francois’ early life and family background are not public knowledge. The exact date of his birth is also not known. However, some people assume that he was born in the 1980s, which means he is most likely in his 40s. He was born in Jacmel, a small city in Haiti.
The young man later moved from Haiti to New York City. He attended college in New York, at the University of New York, but it is hard to tell what course he studied and whether or not it inspired his decision to choose a career. As a tennis coach, the achievements of his coaching career can be seen in the laurels his daughter has won so far as a tennis player.
Today is my dad’s birthday. I want to thank him for being the most positive influence in my life. Hopefully it’ll rub off on me one day 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/jx2vqIluOA
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) December 2, 2018
Who is Leonard Francois’s Wife?
Leonard Francois’ wife is Tamaki Osaka, a woman of Japanese origin. In the early 1990s, Japan allowed foreigners to visit their country for the first time. A college student, Francois was among those who visited the country at this time. During his visit, he met a young lady named Tamaki Osaka in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. Hokkaido is located in the northernmost part of Japan.
Unfortunately, Japan was also very concerned about racial purity at that time, and they were completely against biracial relationships. This ideology was imbibed in both young and old. Nemuro, the town where Tamaki was born, was not any different. The conservative community was faithful to the decree of Tokugawa (traditional Japanese government), and it upheld the decree of racial purity.
However, Tamaki discarded the racial purity ideology after she got into high school. She was intelligent and did not agree with the ways of the people in that regard. This was a good thing for Leonard because she was more open to accepting his proposal, unlike other girls at that time. The Japanese girl accepted his proposal, but they could not celebrate because of the culture. They had to keep it a secret, at least for the early phase.
Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka Married Secretly Because of Japan’s Racial Purity Law
As expected, the relationship could not be hidden forever. When it was time for the young lady to get married, she revealed that she was in a relationship with Leonard Francois. Of course, her family was completely against such, especially her father. Her father accused her of dragging the family’s name in the mud.
Against all odds, the lovers got married secretly as neither of them was ready to end their relationship because of some culture. They both moved to the United States after their marriage. Soon, the couple welcomed their first daughter, Mari Osaka (born on 3rd April 1996), and the second, Naomi Osaka (born on 16 October 1997), followed 18 months later.
Because of their disobedience, Tamaki’s family refused to associate with the couple for almost 15 years. They stayed away from each other as they left Hokkaido for Osaka, where they gave birth to their girls. When Osaka was about 3 years old in the year 2000, Francois relocated his family from Osaka, Japan, to Elmont, New York, on Long Island, where they stayed with his parents.
But in the year 2008, when Naomi Osaka was about 11, Francois returned to Hokkaido from Osaka with his family. Before now, their daughters had to adopt their mother’s name, ‘Osaka’, because of the Japanese family registration law, ‘Koseki’. After staying in the country for a few years, they went back to the States.
Is Leonard Francois Still Married to Tamaki Osaka?
Ever since the couple got married, there has not been any issue reported between Leonard Francois and Tamaki Osaka. Aside from his family with Tamaki, Leonard is not known to have married any other woman or have children elsewhere. As such, it can be conclusively said that he is still married to Tamaki, the mother of his children, Mari and Naomi Osaka.
Francois Coached His Daughters In Tennis When He Knew Little About the Game
Francois’ first ever experience with tennis coaching was when he started training his daughters. He knew little about the game, but he had a dream that one day, his daughters would become great players, just like the Williams sisters. His persistent effort and commitment to training them contributed immensely to the success of his daughter (Naomi) as a player.
As a professional coach now, it is expected that the father of two must have trained a number of other players aside from his daughter, but there is no information about this. Also, his level and awards or recognitions won in the industry are not available. Nonetheless, the man has an interesting journey being the coach of his daughters.
He got inspired after seeing the Williams sisters who dominated the French Open in 1999. Since he knew very little about playing or coaching tennis, he decided to imitate Richard Williams (Serena Williams’ dad). Using his design and training scheme, the strong-willed father started training his daughters, who were about two and three years old at that time.
He Also Homeschooled His Daughters at Night
Due to his commitment to making his daughters tennis champions, Leonard Francois had to spend more time with his daughters while his wife, Tamaki Osaka, provided financial support for the family. Also, he homeschooled his daughters at night rather than sending them to an American high school. He wanted them to continue excelling in the game while getting the needed academic training.
By 2001, the entire family moved to New York, and he sent the girls to Pembroke Pines Public Courts to continue learning how to play and strike the ball the right way. After five years in New York, in 2006, he moved to Florida with his family to continue his schooling. All the while, he continued to put effort into raising talented tennis players.
Fortunately for Leonard Francois, his effort did not go to waste, and his goal of building world tennis world champions was achieved. Upon getting into the sports, the girls chose to represent Japan, and this became a source of controversy. However, it was not a thing of debate for the family because the parents had always hoped that their children would grow to represent Japan as they are more connected to the Japanese culture than they are to the Western culture. More so, their decision was further fueled by the absence of support from the United States. When the girls were still amateurs, the Tennis Association of the United States refused to help them.
What is Leonard Francois’ Net Worth
Leonard Francois has a net worth of $1 million. The main source of his earnings is his career as a professional tennis coach. He coached his daughter until 2018, when she decided to hire other coaches. He then took a more background role. However, in 2022, his daughter asked him to return to her coaching staff once more.
Top-level tennis coaches do not make fixed salaries, but they are paid from $50,000 to $200,000 as a basic salary. They also earn from 5% to 15% of the players’ prize winnings. Seeing as his daughter has won multiple championships, including Grand Slams, Leonard would have made a decent income over the years.
FAQs about Leonard Francois
Who is Leonard Francois?
Leonard Francois is Naomi Osaka’s father. He is also a professional tennis coach.
How Old is Leonard Francois?
Leonard Francois is 44 years old as of 2024, as he was born in the 80s. He celebrates his birthday on the 2nd of December each year.
What Nationality and Ethnicity is Leonard Francois?
Leonard Francois is of Haitian ethnicity and Haitian-American nationality.
What Does Leonard Francois Do For a Living?
Leonard Francois is a tennis coach who has worked with his daughter as well as other athletes.
Does Naomi Osaka Have a Relationship With Her Father?
Naomi Osaka is quite close to her father and has described him as the most positive influence on her life.
Why Did Naomi Osaka Take Her Mom’s Last Name?
Naomi Osaka took her mom’s last name as it was more convenient for enrolling in schools and renting apartments when the family lived in Japan.
How Tall is Leonard Francois?
Leonard Francois is 6 feet tall or 1.82 m tall as of 2024.