At just 23, Naomi Osaka has already proven she is an athlete to watch. In the last year, Osaka has tackled redefining the standards for professional athletes, specifically Black and AAPI female athletes. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion’s authenticity is an inspiration to those who wish to live just as unapologetically.

Inspired by Richard Williams, who went as far as having a few run-ins with gang members while coaching his daughters at the Compton courts, Osaka’s father had hopes that his two daughters would one day become as successful as Venus and Serena. The Osakas moved to the States from Japan when Naomi was just three and started their new life in Long Island, New York, where Naomi and her sister Mari began to take tennis lessons. Osaka went pro at age 13 and became the first Japanese Grand Slam winner just five years later.

This May, the star took to social media to announce that she would not be participating in any press during the 2021 French Open in order to prioritize her mental health. In response, the tournament served her a steep $15K fine along with threats of suspension from the Grand Slam.

After being subject to the tennis spotlight for most of her life, Osaka described press conferences as “kicking a person while they’re down” and even ended the lengthy Tweet on a witty note, closing with “Anyways, I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity. Xoxo.”

The tennis superstar’s current frontier is breaking down the expectation that athletes should have to prioritize their game and gains over their mental health. While making such a bold move could have jeopardized her entire career, Osaka took the threat head-on with her unwavering position on the importance of mental wellness.

Osaka previously made headlines outside of her talent on the tennis court for her activism and outspoken support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The tennis prodigy made a risky move by wearing masks with the names of police brutality victims such as Elijah McClain and Philando Castile to the US Open Tennis Championships back in September.

As one of the top ten athletes with the highest endorsement incomes of 2020, Osaka could have lost the title and a significant amount of sponsorships when she announced she was not doing press. Brands such as Nike, Sweetgreen, and MasterCard refreshingly stood in solidarity with her actions and co-signed her statements on mental health—one of the most surprising things about this whole situation.

We have seen the sports world warmly embrace athletes who are transparent about their mental health, but too often, sports turn a blind eye when it comes to a person of color. Michael Phelps’ openness about his struggle with depression was applauded, leading to widespread support for the athlete and his Michael Phelps Foundation, which proclaims a commitment to promoting “healthy physical and mental living” as one of its core principles. But for a Japanese and Haitian female athlete to be publicly supported by corporations for taking a mental health break — that is unheard of. 

Black women are frequently painted as the “strong Black woman” who can silently bear any burden and support entire families on their backs; Asian women are often portrayed as hard workers who submissively fall in line in order to get the job done. Naomi Osaka and many Black and Japanese women like her have to face a multiplicity of these detrimental biases in their everyday experiences.

These stereotypes become harmful when the lines between what is an unfounded generalization and how someone could actually feel begin to blur. The strength of these assumptions is unfortunately only reinforced over and over by society, the media, and the government. In turn, broad societal views begin to impact how we approach others and perceive their actions.

It is no secret that White players are the majority in professional tennis. It is important to note that on top of all the career and financial implications, Naomi’s race and age could have impacted the way her choice to step away was received. As an outsider and minority in the sport, she was bound to get a few disapproving looks. 

German pro tennis player Boris Becker harshly criticized Osaka, saying “If you can’t deal with the media, it’s very difficult to be a professional tennis player... You’re 23, you’re healthy, you’re wealthy, your family is good. Where is the f**king pressure?” 

This exact type of gaslighting is what happens when the idea of women of color having their emotions taken seriously is not culturally commonly accepted. Black communities still lack equal access to mental health care due to the fact that during the Jim Crow era, it was widely believed that former slaves “demonstrated child-like simplicity and lack of complex emotional processes” and were deemed mentally ill for not wanting to be enslaved. If the emotions of a minority group are not even recognized as real, it is almost guaranteed that their mental health is similarly no concern.

Despite that, there are many people in the industry who support her decision, including some of the biggest stars in tennis. Fellow legends Venus Williams and Apolo Ohno applauded her efforts, with Ohno telling People magazine that Naomi is a “superstar" who demonstrated vulnerability and leadership despite the consequences. 

An overwhelmingly warm response from celebrities, athletes, and on social media shows proof of changing attitudes in the sports community and global culture. The climate is morphing into one that supports the emotions and decisions of women of color.

To be confident enough to stand up for her health to virtually an entire professional tennis community where very few look like her — the Williams sisters, Coco Gauff, and Wang Qiang aside — is an impressive feat. 

Naomi deserves her flowers and dozens more, and it is evident her impact is already beginning to take form. Just this week, Serena Williams, who was playing pro for years before Naomi even picked up a racket, announced she would not be playing in the upcoming Olympics in July. 

When asked for a reason why, Serena gave no lengthy statement and simply said, “There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision and I don't feel like going into them today, maybe another day. Sorry." By taking one big and courageous step, Naomi has created the space to take a break, breathe, and just be, for athletes that came before her and those sure to come long after.

By Taya Coates

VCU student, sunset enthusiast, and proud feminist passionate about making the world a better place.