Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka’s last 12 months have constituted one of the crucial memorable years ever by an athlete throughout any sport in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. She added two extra Grand Slam titles to her resume however obtained much more consideration for elevating consciousness round police shootings together with her actions, when she pulled out of an occasion in Cincinnati after which wore masks in New York highlighting the names of seven black victims of police shootings.
Osaka recorded over $55.2 million in earnings over the last 12 months, with $5.2 million from prize cash and an estimated $50 million off the court docket. Osaka lands at No. 15 in Sportico’s rating of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes.
Osaka has partnered with two dozen manufacturers that vary from HR software program (Workday) to watches (Tag Heuer). Her advertising enchantment covers denim (Levi’s) to excessive vogue (Louis Vuitton). Osaka has offers price eight figures yearly (Nike) and ones with heavy fairness parts (Hyperice and BodyArmor). This month, fast-casual restaurant chain Sweetgreen revealed Osaka as its first athlete ambassador — she can also be an investor in the corporate.
Her multi-nationality—born to a Japanese mom and Haitian-American father—has been a driving issue in corporations flocking to Osaka, with a half-dozen sponsors primarily based in Japan. The Tokyo Olympics, initially scheduled for 2020 and now set to kick off July 23, added one other layer to her advertising mojo. ANA, Google and Nissin are each Osaka companions and official Olympic supporters.
Her $50 million earnings is topped solely by three lively sportsperson in their endorsements – Roger Federer, LeBron James and Tiger Woods. Osaka’s tally matches soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who counts 289 million Instagram followers.
Citing psychological well being issues, Osaka received’t do press at French Open
Osaka on Wednesday (May 26) mentioned she is not going to take questions from the press at this year`s French Open, saying the character of stories conferences places an undue burden on gamers’ psychological well being.
“I’m writing this to say I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros,” the Japanese participant wrote on Twitter. “I’ve usually felt that individuals don’t have any regard for athletes psychological well being and this rings true each time I see a press convention or partake in one.
— NaomiOsakaDa Ban naomi (@naomiosaka) May 26, 2021
“We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I`m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”
Expecting gamers to reply questions after losses amounted to “kicking a person while they’re down,” Osaka added.
The world quantity two mentioned the choice was ‘nothing personal’ towards the event or a few journalists she mentioned she has a pleasant relationship with and that she hoped tournaments would rethink their strategy.
Many tennis tournaments require gamers to talk to the media after every match or pay a advantageous. American Christian Harrison was fined $3,000 by the ATP after refusing to participate in a compulsory on-court interview on the Delray Beach Open in January amid a dispute over masks sporting.
Osaka mentioned she hoped the ‘considerable amount’ that she expects to be fined will go in direction of a psychological well being charity. She later tweeted a video of former Seattle Seahawks working again Marshawn Lynch famously repeating the road “I’m just here so I won’t get fined,” at a pre-Super Bowl press convention in 2015.
Osaka has in the previous used her platform and appreciable press consideration to focus on problems with police violence and racial inequality.
(with Reuters inputs)
