Top facts about Leonard Francois – Biography of the unsung hero, The Father of Naomi and Mari Osaka

When Venus and Serena Williams came as tennis players to the scene and started racking up victories left and right, the world found their dad, Richard Williams, at the root of the success and turned to their history. There’s a saying “lightning does not strike a place twice”, but that appears to be occurring with Mari and Naomi Osaka, two forthcoming tennis players that are headed by their father, Leonard.

This is a story about Leonard Francois, a former Haitian tennis player who discovered the talent his girls possess at a young age and has been able to transform them into international celebrities, with Naomi Osaka going as far as to win the U.S Open in 2018, beating her idol Serena Williams in the final.

Who is Leonard Francois?

The multicultural future of the world has performed in various forms, so much that it has become an accepted standard for millions of people around the globe but regardless of the broad acceptance and normalization of both inter-racial marriage and relationships, some marriages pull off a surprise, not only in the wedding but into the ensuing offspring.

Leonard Francois is a hero, who despite all the challenges,against all odds, found himself in Japan and fell in love with a Japanese woman. Because Leonard prefers to keep the spotlight on his children, there has been very little available information regarding his background, with the only known info about him starting in Japan, after he had relocated to the Asian country in New York where he spent a fraction of his childhood.

Relationship and Marriage with Tamaki Osaka

He met his wife Tamaki Osaka when he was in Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital.
Following graduation from college in Sapporo in which they met, Tamaki and Leonard Francois relocated to Osaka where he began working, and there they had Mari, their brothers and Naomi.

Motivation

One random night in 1999 when Leonard Francois watched the French Open that the Williams sisters dominated, he got inspired to teach his kids the game to achieve the same feat. Combined with tennis knowledge he had from playing in his younger days and the blueprint which had been outlined by Richard Williams’ small expertise, Francois started a journey that would one day create two of the greatest players in the world of tennis.

Leaving his comfort zone

In 2001, he relocated his family back to the United States, when athlete, and Naomi, his kid were three years of age, and soon after, he began executing his plan to turn his daughters into global stars.

Leonard Francois relocated them again in 2006 to Florida where he continued their training. Following five years in New York, after he began training his daughters about the best way best to play and hit the ball, he sent them off to Pembroke Pines Public Courts to further.

The series of trips has mostly brought global recognition through Naomi, who has won a few WTA championships and also a grand
slam, beating one of the women that motivated the journey her dad put her and her sibling through.

Racially influenced dis-communication

For much of results and the glamour that comes off inter-racial relationships,the fallout from relatives who disapprove is significant after the Japanese informed her parents of her connection with Leonard Francois, the couple experienced that in great length. His wife was cut off from the family members and did not reunite until 15 years later after they returned with both daughters in 2008 to Japan with them.

How he educated his children

As a part of his devotion to creating celebrities of his daughters, Leonard Francois than send them off chose to homeschool them, intertwining their education with the sport. According to Leonard, it’s but one of those ideas he picked up in Richard Williams’ training routine.

He had only one driving force. One singular, altruistic motive like a true African, even though they hated him so much he still wanted His daughters to represent Japan. That singular decision has paid off greatly. Naomi is the highest paid female Japanese tennis player All-time. Who wouldn’t be proud of such a father?