For those who may not be familiar with you yet, could you please introduce yourself and share a bit about who you are, both as an athlete and as a person?
My name is Elise Mertens. I am a Belgian professional tennis player. I have one sister and am the godmother of her twins Beau and Fréderique. My family is very important.

My focus is to always improve what I am doing, in tennis as well as in life. Dedicated to tennis, family and especially my 8 shelter dogs.

For those who know me, my green tattoo ( colour of hope) on my left wrist, is a tribute to my collie and soulmate Bo, who passed away. When I throw up the ball, he gives me strength.

What would you say are your proudest moments or biggest achievements in your career so far?
There has been some big achievements in my career that made me proud over the years. In 2018 I was a Grand Slam singles semi-finalist at the Australian Open and 2 time US OPEN quarter-finalist.

I am also proud of lifting 4 times the trophy as a Grand Slam doubles winner; in 2019 at the U.S.Open, in 2021 and 2024 at the AUSTRALIAN OPEN and in 2021 in WIMBLEDON.

In 2022 I won the WTA FINALS in doubles, where the 8 best teams of the world did compete.

So Roland Garros is still one of my goals to win in doubles.

I won 9 WTA tournaments in singles as well. The latest was in Singapore 2025, just 2 months ago.


What are your aspirations and goals for the future, both in your sport and beyond?
Of course I still have some goals for the future, in sports and beyond. Sportswise, I still am keen on improving my game, my singles ranking. My highest ranking in singles was 12 and in doubles number 1 in the world. I still love that yellow ball and will do all it takes to keep it hitting….

Beyond, I hope to be a voice for (shelter) dogs / animals. That is where my personal dedication will be heading to.

And of course I hope to stay healthy, myself and all the people I love.

What drew you to our brand specifically, and how do you see it aligning with your personal values and goals?
I love sportswear on and off the court. OSAKAWORLD not only gives me great comfort during my matches, I just love to wear it all the time because I feel free, relaxed and nicely dressed at the same time.

The variety of colours is amazing and gives me the opportunity to reflect and express my inner feelings towards the environment I am in. Here is an example:

When I play in Indian Wells, known for its amazing rough nature, I wear the desert colour. When playing in Miami, known for its beaches, water, sun…I prefer to wear the colour blue.

The OSAKAWORLD sportswear fits perfectly and is made of the high quality material that I prefer wearing, organic coton and recycled polyester.

I would describe my OSAKA brand as stylish, young, feel good and of high quality.

On top, OSAKAWORLD gives me the opportunity to combine and design myself with materials and colours in the near future. I feel so connected because I can give my personal input and that makes me feel very appreciated.