Naomi Osaka has had a big impact on tennis beyond her own Grand Slam career, with her Play Academy initiative to help girls access the sport. One story that stood out was that of Uma Bogso, a 9-year-old tennis player from Cameroon whose ambitions caught Osaka’s attention.The initiative did not let geography and limited resources define Uma’s opportunities, and it granted her a scholarship to train at the Mouratoglou Academy in France. The move was an opportunity for the young player to be exposed to professional coaching, high-level facilities and an international tennis environment that had previously been well beyond her regular training setup.
Naomi Osaka backs Cameroonian tennis prodigy Uma Bogso with landmark scholarship to train at Mouratoglou Tennis Academy
It started with Uma idolising Naomi Osaka and dreaming of being a professional tennis player. The Cameroonian player was only 9 years old and already playing the sport with far fewer resources than many young athletes training in established tennis systems.Play Academy with Naomi Osaka provided an individual scholarship that enabled Uma to attend the Mouratoglou Academy in France. The scholarship allowed the young player to train at a state-of-the-art tennis center, work with professional coaching staff and mingle with other junior players, Play Academy said.The scholarship was important, in part, because Play Academy was established primarily to help grassroots organisations, not to regularly fund individual athletes. Therefore, Uma’s case offered a unique opportunity in the initiative and illustrated how the situation of a particular young player could be given direct attention.The opportunity also created an environment for Uma that was built around athlete development. The Mouratoglou Academy says its methodology relies on individualised coaching, listening, performance development and helping athletes progress on and off the court.
| Scholarship detail | Information |
| Young player | Uma Bogso |
| Age at scholarship | 9 years old |
| Country | Cameroon |
| Sport | Tennis |
| Support initiative | Play Academy with Naomi Osaka |
| Training destination | Mouratoglou Academy |
| Location | Biot, near Nice, France |
| Main opportunity | Professional coaching and advanced tennis facilities |
A childhood dream suddenly receives global attention
Uma’s story demonstrates what a difference access can make at the very beginning of a young athlete’s development. Talent alone does not guarantee a pathway into competitive sport, especially where coaching, facilities, tournament exposure and financial resources are limited.Also, a new tennis environment can offer a 9-year-old player experiences that go beyond the improvement of individual strokes. Playing with different players can expose you to new standards of competition, new routines, and it can also show you what a longer-term pathway in tennis can look like.That wider development is in line with the philosophy of Play Academy. The initiative was launched in 2020 by Naomi Osaka, Nike and Laureus Sport for Good, with a stated aim of increasing girls’ participation in sport and supporting organisations working with girls in underserved communities.
Naomi Osaka gives Uma Bogso landmark scholarship
Naomi Osaka’s involvement gave Uma’s story a key connection to a player who’s felt the pressure of top-tier tennis firsthand. Osaka has four Grand Slam singles titles and has used her platform to talk about the importance of creating opportunities for girls in sport. Osaka wanted other girls to have the same opportunities and role models on their own sporting journey that she had, Play Academy said.For Uma, the scholarship was a concrete training opportunity rooted in that larger mission. Instead of just receiving encouragement, she was able to move into a professional academy environment and work with coaches who were geared to develop junior players.The Mouratoglou Academy is located in Sophia Antipolis on the French Riviera, near Nice and Cannes. Today its facilities include 33 clay and hard courts, eight indoor courts, a fitness room, sports medicine facilities, swimming pools and accommodation options for young players.The academy also says its coaching philosophy is designed to fit individual athletes, rather than to use one method. Its methodology is based on listening to players, individual coaching, development of performance and continuous assessment.So the significance of the move is not just the number of hours spent on a tennis court. A structured academy can expose a young athlete to training habits, competition preparation and routines that are hard to replicate without access to specialised facilities.
Naomi Osaka’s Play Academy expands global mission
Support for Uma is part of a much larger mission established through Play Academy with Naomi Osaka. Launched in Japan in 2020 with Nike and Laureus Sport for Good, the program has focused on supporting grassroots organisations using sport to create opportunities for girls.The initiative was based on a problem beyond the game of tennis. Financial, social and access barriers can make it more difficult for girls to continue to participate in sport. Play Academy has therefore adopted an approach that has included funding, capacity-building support and gender inclusive coaching and not just elite competition.Uma’s scholarship illustrated how that philosophy could intersect with an individual athlete whose circumstances were especially compelling. Going from Cameroon to a top European tennis academy was a chance to go from very little local resources to a very structured international training setting.For a player who was only 9 years old when the opportunity presented itself, the real value of it may not be in the immediate results, but in the doors it opened along the way. Naomi Osaka’s decision gave Uma’s dream a whole new context, providing a young Cameroonian tennis player with a glimpse of how far that dream could take her.
