Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka’s elder sister Mari has thanked the former World No.1 for helping her become successful in life.

In a recent Instagram post, Mari, 26, wrote: “Special post for my sister Naomi. Without her this would have been absolutely impossible. The support she’s given me after I quit tennis, I was literally a struggling artist. She got me the jobs I needed to be able to stand by myself. Tennis had put me into debt with traveling and coach expenses, I was not successful enough to support myself or my dreams. She has literally saved my life in ways she doesn’t know.”