Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has begun the procedures to give up her U.S. citizenship as part of the efforts to play for Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, nippon.com reported on Thursday.

The Japanese law obligates dual citizens to choose one citizenship before turning 22 years old. Osaka will turn 22 on October 16.

Born to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, Osaka left Japan for the U.S. when she was three years old and began learning tennis in her new home. In 2013, 16-year-old Osaka made her professional debut.

Osaka impressed the world by winning women's singles title at the 2018 U.S. Open, becoming the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam championship. Three months later in January, she did it again at the 2019 Australian Open. Later on, she experienced some ups and downs in her performance, which she countered and won 2019 China Open last month.

"It gives me a special feeling to try to go to the Olympics to represent Japan," said Osaka to the broadcaster in an interview in Tokyo. So far, no Japanese player has ever won a gold medal at the Olympics and Osaka aims to become the first one.