Naomi Osaka Shares Unusual Views on Life as a Global Icon

Naomi Osaka is known as a conscious introvert and has never been someone who chases the spotlight. However, the World No.1 has found herself at the center of global attention in recent months due to her fashion style in Grand Slam tournaments. She opens up about the unexpected ways her career has continued to evolve.

Osaka was little known in tennis until she won the 2018 US Open at just 20 after beating home favorite Serena Williams in the final. She became a global superstar after that and cemented her spot on the radar by winning her second Slam a few months later at the Australian Open, then at the 2020 US Open.

After capturing her fourth Grand Slam, she co-founded sports management agency Evolve in May 2022 alongside her longtime agent, Stuart Duguid. She left the company last year. She became a mother and later returned to tennis, rebuilding her career while balancing new priorities off the court.

The Japanese star has captured fans’ attention in the last four Grand Slams on tour, wearing stylish walk-in attire to the court in each of her matches. She was highly praised by some of the players for her attire at the Wimbledon Championships, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to reach the quarter-finals.

Osaka is currently in Washington ahead of the Citi Open, and she’s one of the top favorites to win the WTA 500 title. She has reached at least the round of 16 of the last two Grand Slams, and it was during the North American hard-court swing last year that she hit her peak form on the court. Ahead of her opening match, she admitted that she never wanted to be famous and that she has just been a fashion enthusiast:

I actually don’t really want to be famous, so I’m good with where I’m at right now. Then people are knowing me now for the fashion stuff more than the tennis, like fashion enthusiasts more than tennis fans. Ironically, wearing the outfits that I wear has kind of forced me to speak a lot more, especially about topics that I’m not necessarily an expert on.

Osaka reached the second round of the Washington Open last year before losing to Yulia Putinseva in straight sets. Nonetheless, this year, Osaka has established herself as one of the few consistent players outside the Top 10. She will be seeking to reach the later stages of the Washington Open, perhaps even going all out to win it.

Naomi Osaka opens up about her Wimbledon exit

Naomi Osaka earned her first win over Aryna Sabalenka in more than three years at the Wimbledon Championship. The Japanese star had lost to the World No.1 at the French Open, but ensured she earned her revenge at the All England Club. But she failed to get past the quarter-finals as she lost to Karolina Muchova.

Muchova finished as runner-up at the tournament after losing to 21-year-old Linda Noskova in three sets in the final. Looking back at the defeat, Osaka admitted during the aforementioned media interview that she was disappointed in herself after losing to Muchova at the tournament and was so hard on herself for a couple of days:

Maybe for like a couple of days or so, I was just really disappointed in myself. Maybe that’s just my mindset, because I’m so hard on myself. Obviously, if someone gets that far in Wimbledon, it’s something to be happy about, but for me, I really felt it was my time to do something.

Osaka is among the top 5 seeds at the Washington Open. She’s projected to face Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals and American star Madison Keys in the final. Osaka leads Svitolina 5-3 in their head-to-head record, but the Ukrainian star has won two titles this year, including the Italian Open in May.

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