Naomi Osaka has revealed that her Los Angeles home was left just three blocks from last week's devastating wildfires in the city, prompting her to make arrangements to rescue a precious item.
The Japanese tennis star, currently competing at the Australian Open, spoke about panic as bushfires raged close to home after her first-round victory over France's Caroline Garcia on Monday.
While also paying tribute to the people of Los Angeles, Osaka admitted that she had asked someone to rescue her daughter's birth certificate from the $8.6 million property in the Tarzana neighborhood for fear it could be “burned down.” .
“I was looking at the fire map and the fire is like three blocks from my house,” he said in his postgame interview. “So I asked someone to go get my daughter's birth certificate, because I didn't know what would happen if it burned down.
'But I think (I'm) sending all my love to Los Angeles. I know we hear about fires, but I didn't particularly know how devastating they could be.
“I just hope everyone is doing well and I'm sending you all my love.”
Naomi Osaka has revealed that her home in Los Angeles was just three blocks from the wildfires.
Osaka asked that her daughter Shai's birth certificate be rescued from the property 18 months after giving birth to her (pictured)
Fires have caused devastation in Los Angeles with thousands of homes destroyed
Thousands of homes have been destroyed by wildfires in Los Angeles, while the death toll currently stands at 24.
Sixteen of the 24 deaths were attributed to the Eaton Fire and eight to the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.
Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire area and four were missing in the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Investigators were trying to determine whether any of the missing could be among the dead.
Osaka, who bought her five-bedroom Tarzana apartment after selling her previous Beverly Hills home in 2022, gave birth to her one-year-old daughter Shai in the summer of 2023.
However, on the eve of the Australian Open, she announced that she had separated from the father of her son, rapper Cordae, after six years together.
The 27-year-old said in a statement on Instagram that she and Cordae “are no longer in a relationship” but remain on good terms.
“There is no hard feelings at all, he is a great person and a fantastic father,” he added.
“Honestly, I'm so glad our paths crossed because my daughter is my biggest blessing and I was able to grow so much from our experience together.”