Mari Osaka, Naomi's Sister, Announces Retirement from Tennis at 24, Says She 'Didn't Enjoy' Journey

Aflo/Shutterstock

Mari Osaka, the older sister of tennis champion Naomi Osaka, has announced that she's walking away from the sport.

On Tuesday, Mari, 24, shared on Instagram that she has retired from tennis, noting that her career was a "journey which [she] didn't enjoy."

"I am retired from playing tennis. It was a journey which I didn't enjoy ultimately but I'm grateful for all the memories and support I've gained and received over the years from the sport," Mari wrote alongside a photo of an open ocean.

"I'm moving on now so you can look forward to new fun projects upcoming in the future," she added.

Naomi's boyfriend Cordae replied to the post, writing "Prada u 📶📶📶📶"

RELATED: Naomi Osaka Teases Sister Mari on TV for Being 'Weird' After Australian Open Semifinals Win

According to Sports Illustrated, Mari is currently ranked No. 335 in the world among women's players in the sport. In the spring of 2018, she reached her highest ranking at No. 280.

Mari played the majority of her career on the lower-tier ITF circuit. She only played one match in January 2021, losing in the first round of qualifiers for an ITF event.

The first time she and Naomi were both in the main draw at a WTA-level event was in March 2019, when the two competed in the Miami Open.

Naomi, 23, has previously discussed her sister's tennis skills, sharing that Mari always beat her in matches when they were younger.

RELATED: Naomi Osaka Sends Cute Message to Australian Open Ball Girl After Spotting Photo from Final Match

"Up until I was 15 she was 6-0-ing me, ridiculous," Naomi told The New York Times in a March 2019 interview.

"I don't know what happened, maybe finally something clicked in my head, but for sure she was beating me," Naomi said. "In the win-loss record, she's up by like a million or something."

The sisters still have a tight-knit relationship, so much so that Naomi teased Mari on national television during the Australian Open last month.

Following her major triumph over Serena Williams in the Australian Open women's singles semifinals, Naomi surprised fans with an interesting message to her sister as she left the court.

After sharing a hug with Williams, Naomi walked over to the camera to write a note on the lens for the viewers at home. The four-time Grand Slam champion used the opportunity to call out her older sister for her "weird" text messages.

"Mari, stop sending weird images in the groupchat!" the athlete wrote.