Osaka ready to represent Japan at Tokyo Olympics
Naomi Osaka has taken steps to give up her United States citizenship to play for Japan in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The 21-year-old, who was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother but raised in the United States, turns 22 on Wednesday, when she faces a deadline to relinquish one nationality because neither Japan nor the United States permits dual citizenship for adults.
Japan, which has long prided itself on being homogeneous, is becoming more ethnically diverse. But prejudice remains against “haafu”, or half-japanese, including cases of bullying against mixedrace children.
Two weeks ago, Osaka, the US Open champion in 2018 and winner of the Australian Open this year, laughed off comments by a Japanese comedy duo who said she was “too sunburned” and “needed some bleach”.
Meanwhile, Heather Watson pulled off her best win for more than two years in to reach the quarter-finals of the Tianjin Open. The British No2 had not beaten a top-50 player since January 2018, but lost just three games against 22ndranked Wang Qiang in a 6-3, 6-0 victory. It is Watson’s best victory since she defeated then world No 19 Anastasija Sevastova at Wimbledon in 2017. If the 27-year-old overcomes Poland’s Magda Linette in the last eight, she will return to the world top 100.
World No1 Novak Djokovic and No3 Roger Federer are through to the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Open after victories over John Isner and David Goffin respectively.