While participating in the 2025 Australian Open, Japanese-American star Naomi Osaka was as far away as she could be from the fires devastating Los Angeles. However, Osaka does live in L.A, and as the fire raged nearer and nearer to her house, she needed help gathering some of her prized possessions. Osaka called someone near her home to grab her 1.5-year-old daughter’s birth certificate.
According to reports, the inferno was just three blocks away from her residence. Although Osaka’s daughter, Shai, was safe and sound, traveling on tour with her mother, Osaka believed it would be in her best interest to keep the child’s birth certificate in a safe place.
‘I think the biggest thing that I am grateful for is that everyone in my family is safe,’ said Osaka Monday during a post-match press conference. Osaka defeated French player Caroline Garcia in three sets on Monday, and offered full support to the Los Angeles area after her match, donning a Dodgers hat with a red heart stitched on it as well as a Lakers jersey to the press conference.
‘Sending all my love to L.A. We hear about fires, but I didn’t know how devastating it could be,’ Osaka said. ‘I hope everyone’s doing well.’
Tennis stars offer their support for Los Angeles
Yes. Most notably, American star Coco Gauff and Croatian player Donna Vekic have written inspirational words on courtside cameras after their matches.
When does Osaka play next?
Osaka is set for her second-round matchup Tuesday January 14, against the world’s No. 20 ranked player, Czechia’s Karolina Muchova.