Naomi Osaka’s father is accused of child abuse and harassment by his daughter, Mari, in an explosive post to social media by the 27-year-old.
Naomi Osaka, former world number one and champion of four Grand Slam titles, returns to official competition this season after a 15-month break due to mental health problems. She took advantage of that time to become a mother.
Now the accusation made by her sister Mari, to her father Leonard Francois, for mistreatment and abuse towards her and her mother has dominated news stories surrounding the family and this is what the Japanese sibling claims through her social networks, which have already been deleted but not before being screenshotted.
“I want you to know how disappointed and disgusted I am in you as a father and human being in general,” Mari Osaka wrote on her own Instagram profile. “You have failed in every way possible.
“You have abused me since I was young, and you continue to harass my mother. You continue to emotionally abuse her and trespass in our home when you have your own. I’m making this public knowledge because you are a coward who hides behind his own physical ability to beat me down and our refusal to call the cops on you.
“This is it. I’m really done with you and the next time I see your face I am calling the police. Consider this a threat. The way you have hurt me and our family honestly I won’t regret it if they kill you so yea come back to the house and threaten to beat me up again.
“I will fight back and I will fight for both of us. I will kill you unless you kill me first by bringing a gun as the coward you are. So go ahead let’s see what type of man you really are even though I’ve already known since birth I’m the daughter to the devil.
“God help me when he comes again.”
Troubled parents
The women’s circuit has had many examples of aggressive fathers. The long list includes Damir Dokic, Jelena Dokic’s father, who was banned from tennis courts.
Marinko Lucic, father of Mirjana Lucic, saw his daughter flee to the United States to stay out of his influence.
Jim Pierce’s abuse of his daughter Mary was also well known. Like Damir Dokic, he was kept out of all tournaments.