The Osaka effect

Naomi Osaka makes her impact felt on the world of tennis - once again

The Roland Garros organisers recently announced that for this Grand Slam year’s Grand Slam they would be adopting different formats for the post-match press conferences.

The changes, designed in part to make the process friendlier according to tournament to tournament director and former tennis star Amelie Maursemo, come 12 months after Naomi Osaka’s unprecedented decision to skip media assignments citing concern for her mental health.

Though she would later to go on to withdraw from the tournament altogether, her choice sparked a wider debate about players’ mental welfare and their obligations to the public, and it appears to have had an impact.

The Osaka-effect hasn’t just stopped there.

Last week (11 May) the former world No.1 also shook up the status quo in the world of sports business when it was revealed she would be leaving the talent management company IMG to launch her own sports agency, ‘EVOLVE’, with long-time agent Stuart Duguid.

It is the first time an elite sportswoman has founded an agency and taken full ownership of their business affairs, putting Osaka in the same league as Roger Federer and LeBron James who both own their own companies.

“Hey kid, you've come a long way and even though there's been some bumps on the road i hope you know you're doing amazing." Osaka wrote on Instagram alluding to her personal growth and achievements.

With Osaka's influence on the world, both on and off the court, so tangible it can be easy to forget that she is just 24 years old.

And yet, a simple revisit of Osaka’s breakthrough into the elite rungs of tennis and the subsequent turbulence she has encountered while at the sport’s peak might point to why the superstar athlete is making people sit up and take notice.

Naomi Osaka: navigating the highs and lows

Osaka first flashed her raw talent back in 2018 when she captured her maiden WTA title in Indian Wells as an unseeded player. She then confirmed her major credentials later that same year when she bested Serena Williams at the US Open to take the title aged 20.

But what should have been another momentous milestone for an impressionable young player on the rise turned into something far uglier. During the fractious final the crowd continued to boo and jeer the Japanese player who was reduced to tears after denying Williams a 24th Grand Slam title.

That night in Flushing Meadows has continued to haunt Osaka who, despite the bouts of depression she subsequently experienced, continued on a winning run, picking up three more major titles.

Then in spring 2021 Osaka made a remarkable stand for her mental health when she told the world she would be opting out of post-match interviews ahead of the French Open.

The choice was received with mixed reviews and an immense amount of scrutiny eventually pushing the Japanese player to step away from the sport until the Tokyo 2020 Games where she emerged as the face of the Olympics, lighting the Opening ceremony cauldron.

But her time in public was brief. Shortly after being knocked out of the US Open by eventual finalist Leylah Fernandez another announcement followed stating the Osaka would be taking indefinite leave.

Back on a tennis court once again in early 2022 – citing her love for the sport for bringing her back after believing she might never play again – Osaka looked to be making positive strides forward; her demeanour looked changed, and her tennis promising.

But all of that took a knock when a heckler at Indian Wells sent Osaka spiralling.

Wiping her tears away after her defeat she addressed the crowd explaining how the experience echoed, for her, that of the abuse similarly suffered by the Williams sisters at the tournament which led them both to boycott it for several years.

In a display of resilience, Osaka took to Twitter days later to express her determination not to be changed by what had happened. The same drive was evident to see in her Miami Open run which saw her make the final – the first since her victory at the Australian Open in 2021.

Her string of successes in Florida coincided with the news that she had started seeing a therapist to help work on her mindset after the incident in Indian Wells.

“I really had a blast on court for the first time in a while,” Osaka told Self afterwards, revelling for the first time in a long time, in a sense of satisfaction at her abilities. “I have a new perspective and I’m so appreciative that I have this career and platform. I’m also really energised and motivated.”

Naomi Osaka: a new chapter

While Osaka is still locating the wins that saw her become the youngest women’s world tennis number one, with her holistic shift in outlook and her newly founded agency, it appears the player is moving into a new, positive phase of her career.

In addition to her new agency, Osaka is continuing to use her platform to draw attention to causes that matter to her. It's something she began doing after the killings of unarmed Black Americans George Floyd and Breonna Taylor which triggered protests around the world back in 2020.

One of her most recent projects ties closely to mental health, an obvious topic of importance for the athlete.

Deepening her commitment to being at the forefront of change, Osaka has formed a partnership with Alyson Watson, CEO and founder of Modern Health, an app that connects people with resources to support their mental health.

As part of her role, Osaka will work with the WTA to highlight other tennis player’s journeys with mental health. “The main goal is that we remind people they are not alone,” Osaka continued to Self.