NEWS / Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka salvages daughter’s birth certificate from LA wildfires

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, currently ranked as World No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association, managed to have her daughter’s birth certificate secured from her home in Los Angeles, California, as wildfires were approaching the building.

“I was watching the fire map, and the fire is like three blocks from my house. So I had someone go and get my daughter’s birth certificate and all that because I didn’t know what would happen if that burned down,” Osaka was quoted by CNN as stating during an on-court interview in her game against Caroline Garcia in the Australian Open.

Osaka elaborated by noting that she sent someone to get her child’s birth certificate. She used the interview to express her sympathy for victims of massive fires that have engulfed the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The player later appeared wearing a Los Angeles Lakers jersey and Los Angeles hat with a heart.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve been doing the greatest keeping focus, but obviously I won, so I think it’s an acceptable job,” Osaka noted in regard to her game with Garcia, which ended with the result 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in favor of Osaka.

The Japanese superstar is seeking her third Australian Open title and first grand slam since winning in Melbourne in 2021. She noted that she will continue to check on the situation in Los Angeles, but also stated that she does not intend to go back there at the moment due to safety concerns.

The Los Angeles area wildfires started on January 7, 2025, and have resulted in at least 25 deaths as well as over 12,000 destroyed or damaged buildings. A total of 23 fires have been recorded so far, with the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in Altedena being the 2nd and 4th most destructive fires, respectively, in California history.