Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend brought together Coco Gauff, Gaƫl Monfils, and other tennis stars at a special event ahead of the 2026 French Open to celebrate Black excellence in the sport. Osaka also shed light on the significance of the gathering in an emotional message, highlighting what it means to be part of a minority in the sport.
Naomi Osaka Shares Glimpse of Her Celebrations with Coco Gauff, Gaƫl Monfils, and Others
With the main draw action of the French Open set to get underway on Sunday, May 24, Gauff, Monfils, and Asia Muhammad took a break from their preparations to enjoy the soirĆ©e co-hosted by Osaka and Townsend at the Soho House in Paris. Former player turned presenter Christopher Eubanks was also among the guests at the stylish “black party.”
Osaka shared a glimpse of the festivities on Instagram, relishing the opportunity to co-host her fellow tennis stars.
“The black party (RG edition) š¤ Side note : my first time ever co hosting a dinner/party and let me tell you, no better company to share time with,” Osaka captioned her post.
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Gauff and Townsend both signaled their support for the former world No. 1 in the comments.
“Just the beginningš¤āļøšļø,” Townsend wrote.
“ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø,” Gauff commented.
Osaka also shared a powerful message about the “isolating” reality of being a minority in tennis and the unspoken fellowship that exists between Black tennis stars.
“Growing up, there weren’t a lot of tennis players I could look up to that looked like me. Being a minority in a sport like tennis is very isolating but the positive is that you keep tabs on everyone that … being blunt, is black. There’s a fellowship, a camaraderie that doesn’t need words to describe. You just feel at peace knowing that there’s another person who has experienced similar things to you and you feel less alone,” Osaka wrote.
The four-time Grand Slam champion expressed her deep gratitude for her peers and emphasized the importance of their presence, while also showing her appreciation for those who couldn’t attend the party.
“There’s a saying, “when you win I feel like I win too” and while that’s true I also feel like seeing any of us exist in this space that is so clearly not for us is a win in itself. Our presence is a present and I’m so grateful for the gift of my peers. I want to thank them for existing and thank them for inspiring, I am so proud and I appreciate everyone who came to the dinner (also the ones who couldn’t make it as well ā¤ļø),” she added.
While Coco Gauff and Taylor Townsend enjoyed each other’s company at the party, the two will soon have to put their friendship aside as they are set to lock horns in the first round of the French Open. Meanwhile, GaĆ«l Monfils, who is making his final Roland Garros appearance, will take on compatriot Hugo Gaston in his opening match.
Naomi Osaka will square off against Laura Siegemund in the first round of the clay-court Major. Drawn in the same quarter as Aryna Sabalenka, Osaka could face the world No. 1 in a blockbuster fourth-round showdown in Paris, provided they both reach the Round of 16.
