Cool Under Pressure
The first thing you’ll notice about Naomi Osaka when she’s on the tennis court is her attitude. There are no outbursts of frustration when she misses a shot (which rarely happens), no big self-congratulatory dances when she wins. She even managed to have what can only be called a peaceful reaction to a rogue butterfly landing on her in the midst of a match at the 2021 Australian Open; with a straight face, she calmly walked to the sidelines so it could flutter away to safety, then casually resumed play.
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Such is the way of Osaka — calm, cool, collected, no matter what is happening on the court. “Being composed on the court has come with time and experience,” she said. “The calmer I am, the easier I can refocus and be present. I try not to let my emotions negatively affect my performance and usually have to talk to myself.”
However, Osaka isn’t one to shy away from using her newfound fame as a way to advocate for social issues. During the 2020 US Open, she wore seven different face masks for every round of the tournament, each emblazoned with the name of a Black person whose death sparked national outrage against racial injustice. She said, “I will always stand up for what I feel is right and try to encourage others to understand why. There is no strategy.”
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I will always stand up for what I feel is right and try to encourage others to understand why. There is
no strategy.
As her rise to household-name status has skyrocketed, Osaka has also witnessed the power of her voice to influence future generations. “I try to use my platform always to inspire, raise awareness for things that are important to me, and hopefully bring joy to people,” she said. “There is a reason why I talk about how Billie Jean King inspires me. If she hadn’t used her platform to advocate for equal pay, win, and take risks, then what was the point? I want to inspire people, just as she did for me. It almost feels like I am paying it forward.”
I try not to let my emotions negatively affect my performance and usually have to
talk to myself.
Though she’s arguably one of the most celebrated rising star athletes in the world — especially after being named a 2020 Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated — Osaka isn’t letting the noise get to her. She said she tries not to pay much attention to the discussions being had about her in the media and hopes the honor of the title “will inspire young athletes to work hard, have fun, and be yourself.”
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So what’s next? Training hard for another potential Grand Slam win, for one. Osaka is also working on different collaborations in the fashion space, not to mention partnering with BODYARMOR. “I always look to partner with brands that I am already using and a fan of,” she said. “I was hydrating with BODYARMOR long before I partnered officially with them. Also, Kobe [Bryant] spoke lots to me about the brand and encouraged me to get on board, which I am very grateful for.”
As for new projects, Osaka said we’ll just have to stay tuned. As she can probably imagine, we’re all waiting with bated breath.
As for new projects, Osaka said we’ll just have to stay tuned. As she can probably imagine, we’re all waiting with bated breath.
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