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Naomi Osaka
Osaka rewrote the economics of women's sport, turning four hard-court majors into an endorsement empire that made her the highest-paid female athlete ever and a template for the multicultural global star.
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· Daniel Anderson
Tennis star and certified ARMY Naomi Osaka meets BTS’ SUGA in Japan
Olympic tennis star Naomi Osaka made her ARMY dreams come true when she met BTS’ SUGA on Friday. Both sat courtside for the NBA Japan Games’ first match between the Golden States Warriors and the Washington Wizards. Osaka, who used to run a BTS fan account, told SUGA “Autumn…
· Daniel Anderson
BLACKPINK, BTS, SEVENTEEN, Lisa grab historic wins at 2022 MTV VMAs
K-pop acts BTS, SEVENTEEN, BLACKPINK and BLACKPINK member Lisa won big at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Sunday. BLACKPINK won for “Best Metaverse Performance” while Lisa became the first K-pop soloist to win “Best K-Pop.” BTS won their fourth consecutive “Group of…
· Bryan Ke
Naomi Osaka pays tribute to Serena Williams ahead of Grand Slam queen’s last US Open
Japanese professional tennis player Naomi Osaka, 24, paid tribute to her idol Serena Williams, 40, at a press conference for the U.S. Open on Saturday. “She's introduced people that have never heard of tennis into the sport. I think I'm a product of what she's done,” Osaka told…
· Bryan Ke
Naomi Osaka backs out of Wimbledon due to injury: ‘I’ll see you next time’
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, 24, has officially backed out of this year’s Wimbledon, with the tournament confirming her withdrawal on Saturday. “I feel like life keeps dealing cards and you're never going to be used to them but it's how you adapt to uncomfortable…
· Bryan Ke
Naomi Osaka responds to critics in latest Instagram Q&A: ‘IDGAF anymore’
Naomi Osaka, 24, slammed her critics in a recent Instagram Stories Q&A, saying "IDGAF anymore" about their comments. For her 2022 goal, Osaka plans to approach the new year with a less worrisome mindset and "find a way to enjoy the game [tennis] again." Star tennis player Naomi…
· Ryan General
Naomi Osaka appears on ‘Sesame Street’ to teach children of all skin types about wearing sunscreen
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka will appear as a guest on the latest episode of “Sesame Street.” Her segment involves teaching young viewers about the importance of wearing sunscreen for all skin types. She considers this guest appearance a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Tennis…
· Khier Casino
26 Asian celebrities, activists, political leaders among TIME’s ‘100 most influential people of 2021’
TIME magazine has published its 100 most influential people of 2021 on Wednesday and the full list includes Naomi Osaka, Shohei Ohtani and Cathy Park Hong, among other Asian luminaries from around the globe. The 18th annual list of influential people features activists,…
· Grace Kim
Asian celebrities slay the red carpet at Met Gala 2021
This year’s Met Gala featured a number of first-time appearances by Asian and Asian American celebrities, from world-renowned female K-pop stars to record-breaking athletes. The event was much more of an intimate gathering — it had only about a third of the normal guest list…
· Carl Samson
Simone Biles says Naomi Osaka inspired her to focus on mental health
Simone Biles has credited Naomi Osaka for her decision to pull out from the gymnastics team final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, saying the tennis star inspired her to “focus on my mental health.” Why this matters: Biles’ exit has raised awareness on how mental health is…
· Grace Kim
Naomi Osaka advances into Olympics third round feeling ‘refreshed and happy’
Naomi Osaka is back on the court, and she’s already won the first two matches in the beginning days of her Olympics debut in Tokyo. On to the third round: Representing Japan in the Games, Osaka faced off against China’s Zheng Saisai on Sunday and defeated her opponent 6-1, 6-4…
· Ryan General
Australian sports writer doesn’t think Naomi Osaka is Japanese enough to light Olympic torch
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka is apparently not Japanese enough to light the Olympic cauldron, as far as one Australian journalist is concerned. Fanning the flame: In his article for The Australian, titled “Burning question: How Japanese is Naomi Osaka?”, writer Will Swanton…
· Ryan General
Naomi Osaka becomes first Haitian and Japanese woman on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, gets bullied for it
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman and Black female athlete to appear on Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition cover. Making history: Osaka, who is representing Japan in the Tokyo Olympics later this month, shared the historic cover for SI’s 2021…
· Bryan Ke
Leyna Bloom becomes first trans woman of color on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
Sports Illustrated introduced Filipino American model Leyna Bloom as the first trans woman of color as the cover star for its August swimsuit issue. The first: Bloom took to her Instagram on Monday to share the history-making news to her more than 411,000 followers and offer a…
· Bryan Ke
Naomi Osaka shines light on backlash over representing Japan at Olympics in new Netflix series
In her new self-titled Netflix docuseries, Naomi Osaka discusses the backlash she received for representing Japan instead of the U.S. at the Tokyo Games. No surprise: The 23-year-old Haitian-Japanese player said her decision to play for Japan at the Olympics should not surprise…
· Thy Nguyen
Netflix and Gold House launch ‘Netflix Gold’ project to amplify API stories, artists, creators
Netflix is partnering with Gold House to amplify cultural stories that engage the API community and celebrate diversity in storytelling. The partnership: Gold House is a nonprofit collective of influential API founders, creative voices and leaders dedicated to authentic…
· Thy Nguyen
Naomi Osaka announces second Barbie doll, sells out in a couple hours
Mattel designed a new Barbie doll modeled after tennis star Naomi Osaka as part of their Role Model series. The doll: This is the second time Barbie created a doll after Osaka. The first one was in 2019 as part of Mattel’s 60th Anniversary collection, reported Los Angeles Times.
· Bryan Ke
Naomi Osaka wins ‘Best Athlete, Women’s Sports’ at her first ESPY Awards on ESPN
Naomi Osaka made her first appearance at ESPN’s ESPY Awards on Saturday and took home the award for Best Athlete, Women’s Sports. The award show: The 23-year-old pro tennis player thanked everyone who supported her during the brief acceptance speech she delivered at the award…
· Bryan Ke
‘Athletes are humans’: Naomi Osaka ‘excited’ to play at Tokyo Olympics after weeks of recharge
Naomi Osaka said she is now excited to compete again at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics after spending weeks with loved ones to recharge and have time to reflect. Fully charged and ready: In an essay for TIME magazine, the 23-year-old tennis player shed further light on why she…
· Thy Nguyen
Three-part Naomi Osaka documentary series produced by Lebron James to premiere on Netflix
Netflix’s upcoming documentary series about Naomi Osaka gives viewers a look into her private life, the challenges she faced and what it’s like to be one of the world’s best tennis players. Watchlist: Titled “Naomi Osaka,” the three-part series follows Osaka “during a historic…
· Thy Nguyen
Naomi Osaka wants to ‘inspire’ girls to change ‘expectations’ in Olympics ‘Stronger Together’ campaign
Naomi Osaka joins Usain Bolt and Tony Hawk in the Olympics “Stronger Together” video series campaign to discuss stereotypes and embracing individuality. Osaka’s feature: The tennis star is making her Olympic debut and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched her story…
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