Naomi Osaka

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Naomi Osaka's Return to Tennis Has Rocky Start

Tennis great returns to Grand Slam circuit after 15-month break, loses in first round

(Newser) - Moments after her Grand Slam comeback ended in a first-round loss, Naomi Osaka put her gold jacket on and walked back through the players tunnel where her name has a prominent place among recent Australian Open champions. Three matches into her return from 15 months off the tour, and six...

Naomi Osaka Shares a 'Little Life Update for 2023'
Naomi Osaka
Begins New Chapter
UPDATED
Jul 12, 2023 9:20 AM CDT

Naomi Osaka Begins New Chapter

Tennis star welcomes baby girl with boyfriend Cordae

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka is officially a mom. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion has given birth to her first child, a baby girl, in Los Angeles, the Women's Tennis Association announced Tuesday. The 25-year-old revealed her pregnancy in January before calling out sexist criticism of the move to have a...

Osaka Pulls Out of Wimbledon Before It Opens

24-year-old says Achilles injury isn't healed

(Newser) - For the second straight year, Naomi Osaka has decided to not play Wimbledon. She was listed among the tournament withdrawals Saturday, ESPN reports, and a leg injury was cited as the reason. "There goes my grass dreams," the 24-year-old posted on Instagram . A tweet said, "My Achilles...

Naomi Osaka Might Want to Retire, for Her Own Good
It Might Be
Time for
Naomi Osaka
to Leave Tennis
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 19, 2022 5:05 PM CDT

It Might Be Time for Naomi Osaka to Leave Tennis

'Washington Post' columnist says the tennis great's mental health appears to be at risk

(Newser) - Tennis great Naomi Osaka has temporarily stepped away from the game more than once as she publicly grappled with the intense pressure and with depression. Her advocacy on mental health is admirable, writes Candace Buckner in the Washington Post . But an incident over the weekend suggests the 24-year-old might want...

Naomi Osaka Addresses Crowd Over Heckler

Tennis star loses match, was brought to tears in Indian Wells, California

(Newser) - Tennis great Naomi Osaka was clearly disturbed by a derogatory comment from a spectator Saturday night en route to a loss at a tournament in Indian Wells, California. ESPN reports that after a woman shouted, "Naomi, you s---" from the stands in the first set, a rattled Osaka stopped...

Naomi Osaka on Missing Tennis Star: 'I'm In Shock'

Tennis world demands answers about Peng Shuai after she made sexual assault allegations

(Newser) - Earlier this month, a pro women's tennis star in China lobbed sexual assault allegations on social media against an ex-government bigwig there. That post was quickly scrubbed, and since then, no one's heard publicly from Peng Shuai, leading to no shortage of concern. Among the voices demanding answers...

Tearful Osaka Isn't Sure When She'll Play Tennis Again

Saying she's dealing with issues, star plans a break after US Open upset

(Newser) - Tennis star Naomi Osaka isn't sure what to do. "When I win, I don't feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad," she said after losing at the US Open on Friday night. "I don't...

Naomi Osaka Loses Cool —and US Open Title

Defending champ lost to an 18-year-old ranked 73rd

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka smacked her racket against Arthur Ashe Stadium’s court. Moments later, she chucked her equipment, sending it bouncing and skidding halfway to the net. Then came a full-on spike near the baseline, per the AP . Osaka’s game was off. Her composure was gone. By the end,...

Osaka, Serena Miss Play but Top Money List

Endorsements help put tennis stars well ahead of other female athletes in income

(Newser) - Young tennis players on their way up might want to also keep their eye on the endorsements. Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams haven't won many tournaments lately—nine between them since February—partly because they've skipped some or missed them because of injuries. But they still top the...

Naomi Osaka Press Conference Ends in Tears

Agent slams 'bully' reporter who asked question on media relations

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka faced one of her first press conferences since withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon on Monday and ended up walking away in tears. Ahead of a tournament in Cincinnati, Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Paul Daugherty virtually asked Osaka about her relationship with the media. "You're not...

Osaka's Loss Draws Criticism, Questions in Japan

Nation's cultural diversity issues resurface after Olympics match

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka's third-round loss at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday did more than defy her image as a local tennis star certain to win the gold medal. It shook Japan's notions of its racial and cultural identity, and many people let her know it, the New York Times...

Japan's Darling Suffers Stunning Defeat

Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic beats Naomi Osaka

(Newser) - The host country’s superstar is out of the Tokyo Olympics. Naomi Osaka lost to former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4 in the third round of the Tokyo tennis tournament on Tuesday, the AP reports. The second-ranked Osaka, who was born in Japan and...

In Tokyo, Osaka Celebrates 'Greatest Athletic Achievement'

Tennis star tweets gratitude after Olympics' opening ceremony

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka reached new heights Friday, lighting the Olympic cauldron to launch the Tokyo Games. "Undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and honor I will ever have in my life," the tennis star posted on Instagram after taking part in the opening ceremony . Osaka expressed gratitude in her posts,...

Critics Blast Megyn Kelly's 'Grotesque' Tweets on Osaka

'It's not a public service to harass a woman over her depression,' says critic

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka has been focusing on her mental health ahead of her return to tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, but fans still got to see her on the covers of Vogue Japan , Time , and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition this month. That brought even more scrutiny on the four-time Grand...

Mattel's Naomi Osaka Barbie Sells Out in Hours

Tennis star has a doll in her likeness

(Newser) - Tennis star Naomi Osaka was one of 20 or so "Sheros"—read: female heroes—gifted a Barbie doll in their own likeness in 2019 . The public was apparently eager for a Barbie of the world's highest-paid female athlete, too, as a new doll of Osaka sold out...

Naomi Osaka: Here's How We Can Improve Things


Naomi Osaka:
Things Have
 Got to Change
OPINION
Jul 8, 2021 5:05 PM CDT

Naomi Osaka: Things Have Got to Change

She suggests sick days for tennis players, press conference reforms

(Newser) - "In any other line of work, you would be forgiven for taking a personal day here and there." Not so in the highest ranks of tennis, as Naomi Osaka writes following her controversial exit at the French Open. In a Time essay, the Japanese-born star dealing with social...

Osaka Gives Tennis, Journalists an Opportunity
Osaka Gives Tennis,
Journalists an Opportunity
opinion
Jun 18, 2021 5:05 PM CDT

Osaka Gives Tennis, Journalists an Opportunity

Star's stance could cause a reckoning, analysts say

(Newser) - By announcing she'll skip Wimbledon after already withdrawing from the French Open—even as tennis officials say they're working on the issues she raised—Naomi Osaka is making a couple of things clear. She's serious about putting her mental health first, whether the tennis bosses like it...

After French Withdrawal, Naomi Osaka Skips Wimbledon

Tennis star objects to media requirements during tournaments

(Newser) - She dropped out of the French Open , and now she's skipping Wimbledon. Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, “is taking some personal time with friends and family," says agent Stuart Duguid, per the AP . However, he says the native of Japan plans to compete in the...

Osaka's Move May Not Dent Her Earnings

Sponsors who might have dropped tennis star in the past are sticking with her

(Newser) - For other tennis stars, leaving the tour for a time and quitting a major tournament in the middle might hurt their income. Corporate sponsors have been known to drop, or at least cool off on, athletes receiving negative publicity. Also, they count on their players being around deep into tournaments...

The Lessons From 'L'Affaire Osaka'
After Osaka's Surprise
Withdrawal, a Lively Debate 
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 1, 2021 8:21 AM CDT

After Osaka's Surprise Withdrawal, a Lively Debate

Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, others rally to support tennis star's mental health

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka's decision to withdraw from the French Open rather than face mandatory media interviews has become one of the most talked-about stories in sports, with folks speaking out on behalf of the world's second-ranked women's tennis player, who admitted to battling depression and social anxiety, and...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser