She grew up idolizing Serena Williams
Osaka’s adoration isn’t a coincidence. Francois says watching Serena and Venus Williams compete in the French Open as teenagers in the late 90s inspired him to introduce his own daughters to tennis.
“The blueprint was already there,” Francois told the Times. “I just had to follow it.”
Osaka also acknowledges Williams as her primary inspiration. After defeating the 23-time Grand Slam winner earlier this year, Osaka admitted she often asks herself “what would Serena do” during pivotal moments in matches.
When Osaka was 18 years old, Williams says she was impressed with Osaka’s game.
“She’s really young and really aggressive,” Williams said at the 2016 Australian Open. “She’s a really good, talented player. Very dangerous.”
After defeating Madison Keys in the semifinals of the U.S. Open, Osaka didn’t shy away from the marquee matchup with her idol.
“This is going to sound really bad,” she said after the match, “but I was just thinking I really want to play Serena. When I was a little kid I always dreamed I would play Serena in a Grand Slam final. At the same time I feel like even though I should enjoy this moment, I should still think of it as another match.”
