"Naomi Osaka has done a lot to break down barriers for female athletes" - says Billie Jean King
WTA
Billie Jean King admires Naomi Osaka for her work on and off the court, highlighting what she has done to break down barriers for women.
Osaka's four Grand Slam titles, the most recent of which came at the 2021 Australian Open, would be enough on its own to say the 25-year-old has had a significant impact on women's tennis that should be respected.
That was an incredible rise for Osaka, who remembers being kicked out of public courts as a child. She went from those humble beginnings to becoming one of the most well-known athletes worldwide.
Osaka is not only one of the most talented female tennis players. Her personality and honesty about issues like mental health make her one of the sport's most marketable athletes.
The Japanese was the highest-earning female sports star worldwide in the last few years, proving her influence goes far beyond her results on-court, which have not been as impressive in 2022 as the previous few seasons.
Osaka also co-founded the production company Hana Kuma. Incredibly, its first project, a documentary about Patsy Mink, the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress, received an Emmy nomination.
Tennis and equality Jean King praised Osaka for what she has done to break down barriers for female athletes, saying she is an example of someone who uses their success on-court to do more good work off it.
As the top earner in all of women’s sports these last few years, I think Naomi Osaka has really done a lot to break down barriers for female athletes. I know gender equality is especially important to her and I was very pleased to see her as executive producer on MINK! about Patsy Mink and Title IX."
“Naomi was very successful in using her amazing tennis to propel her career both on and off the court. We can’t forget that she won four Slams, was the first Japanese player to win a major and was the first Asian No. 1.”
