naomi osaka
Naomi Osaka announces first children’s book launched by her production company Hana Kuma
- Naomi Osaka, 24, will release her first children’s book “The Way Champs Play” under her production company Hana Kuma on Dec. 6.
- “The leadership, confidence, teamwork, and resilience I’ve learned on the court have been so valuable to me and that’s why I am so excited about my new book, ‘The Way Champs Play,’” the four-time Grand Slam winner told AP News.
- The book is illustrated by Kamala Nair, and all proceeds will reportedly go to Osaka’s foundation Play Academy.
Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka is launching her first children’s book under Hana Kuma, a production company she built in partnership with NBA star LeBron James.
Osaka, 24, took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce that “The Way Champs Play,” illustrated by Kamala Nair, will be released on Dec. 6. Osaka reportedly struck a deal with HarperCollins Publishers for the release of the book, according to AP News.
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 Leaves” was a great song.
Tennis Olympian Naomi Osaka, who has been an ARMY for years, finally met BTS’ SUGA at an NBA preseason game in Japan.
Osaka said during a 2019 press conference for the Madrid Open, “I got into BIGBANG and 2NE1, especially CL. I don’t know the year, sort of like when ‘Crush’ and stuff came out. And then I just saw BTS doing a lot of related stuff, so I was like, ‘Who are these kids?’ Then I slowly started getting into them during the ‘I Need U’ era.”
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 reporters. “I wouldn't be here without Serena, Venus, her whole family. I'm very thankful to her.”
- Osaka and Williams have faced each other four times on the court, with the Japanese star beating her idol in three of their matches.
- Williams is set to face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in her final U.S. Open tournament on Monday, while Osaka will play against American athlete Danielle Collins on Tuesday.
Japanese professional tennis player Naomi Osaka paid tribute to her idol, Serena Williams, ahead of the legendary athlete’s final U.S. Open before she retires.
Osaka, 24, spoke about Williams, 40, at a press conference for the U.S. Open on Saturday, proclaiming that her idol has “changed the sport [tennis] so much.”
Photo shows 8-year-old Naomi Osaka watching 22-year-old Rafael Nadal at 2006 US Open
- An iconic photo showing an 8-year-old Naomi Osaka watching a 22-year-old Rafael Nadal competing at the 2006 US Open emerged on Twitter over the weekend.
- Twitter user @miathermopol1s, who posted the photo, said the photo was from Aug. 23, 2006.
- The image shows Osaka in the stands with her younger sister Mari Osaka, who also later competed in several WTA and ITF matches.
- Osaka has previously spoken about her adoration of Nadal, telling WTA Tennis in April, "I know that every kid growing up playing tennis in the world has pretended to be Nadal at least once."
- In the very stadium she watched the Spaniard, the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Osaka won the US Open trophy some 12 years later.
An iconic photo featuring a very young Naomi Osaka watching a 22-year-old Rafael Nadal compete at the US Open is making the rounds on social media.
In the image, the Japanese Haitian future WTA Tour champion can be seen in the stands right behind the Spanish tennis legend.
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 situations that really says stuff about your character," Osaka said on Instagram and Twitter on Saturday.
- She also shared that her Achilles tendon “still isn’t right” and that she is “trying to find the positives in a negative situation.”
- The world’s former No. 1 female tennis player was injured in Madrid last month, causing her to miss the 2022 Italian Open on May 9 in the lead-up to the French Open.
- Osaka had previously hinted that she might not compete at Wimbledon this year, mentioning the decision of the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women's Tennis Association to remove Wimbledon’s ranking points during her post-match conference at the French Open.
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has officially confirmed she will not be competing at Wimbledon this year due to her Achilles injury.
Osaka, 24, announced her decision to withdraw from the tournament on Twitter and Instagram on Saturday, sharing that her Achilles tendon “still isn’t right” and that she is “trying to find the positives in a negative situation.”
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 Osaka recently slammed her critics during a Q&A session she held on Instagram Stories for her fans.
Osaka, 24, revealed she does not care anymore about the comments of her critics after one of her fans told her to play at the Australian Open as if she has something to prove, according to EssentiallySports.
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 superstar Naomi Osaka is the latest celebrity of Asian descent to make a guest appearance on the educational children’s television series “Sesame Street.”
The 24-year-old athlete will be sharing the importance of wearing sunscreen for all skin types in the new episode, which is set to premiere on streaming platform HBO Max on Jan. 6.
Naomi Osaka pledges all her Western & Southern Open winnings to earthquake victims in Haiti
Tennis star Naomi Osaka announced that she will donate her winnings from the 2021 Western & Southern Open to help the victims of an earthquake that hit Haiti on Saturday morning.
Death toll: The 7.2-magnitude earthquake has left at least 1,297 people dead and over 5,700 injured, forcing the Haitian government to declare a state of emergency, CNN reported.
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 equally important to physical health, especially among athletes in high-stress environments such as the Games. Last month, Osaka dropped out of the French Open to give herself a break from social anxiety and “long bouts of depression.”
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 in Ariake Tennis Park’s Centre Court. In the second round on Monday, she defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 6-3, 6-2.
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 claimed the Tokyo Olympic committee “got it wrong” by having Osaka light the symbolic torch during the Games’ opening ceremony on Friday.
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 Swimsuit issue with rapper Megan Thee Stallion and activist Leyna Bloom, reported USA Today.
