Naomi Osaka defended her decision to host a party celebrating Black tennis players on the eve of the French Open. The Japanese tennis star hosted a party alongside Taylor Townsend to celebrate Black players on tour and foster inclusion through community.
Naomi Osaka Defends Decision to Host Pre-French Open Party Celebrating Black Players
Osaka shared a post on Instagram with pictures from the party on Saturday and said it was a way to show her gratitude to her fellow Black players on tour and thanked them for being an inspiration. Attendees included Coco Gauff, Gaël Monfils, Chris Eubanks, Asia Muhammad, and Townsend.
Some left critical comments under the post, asking why other players were not invited to the party. And the 28-year-old issued a lengthy response on Threads on Sunday.
“First of all I do love everyone for who they are no matter their race + ethnicity, (I’m literally half Japanese lol). I can only speak from my experiences in my own life though, growing up as a tennis player I didn’t see many people that looked like ME and I feel like it’s important to celebrate them,” Osaka wrote on Threads.
“I don’t know how else to tell you this, I literally seen them all the time and never had an issue with it at all. To the people who ask this question I want to ask you this question too, ’What is it about POC getting together that unsettles you so much?’” she added.
Osaka reiterated that she would never apologize for wanting to celebrate the achievements of players of color for the success they have had on the court.
“I’m sorry for the people who cannot comprehend in their brains that this is not about exclusion, this is a celebration about how far we have come,” she added.
A four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, Osaka has enjoyed a glittering tennis career. Off the court, she looks to use her platform to voice her opinions and help promote equality and social justice.
Meanwhile, Osaka will begin her French Open campaign on Tuesday with a first-round clash against Laura Siegemund. Training under Tomasz Wiktorowski, Osaka has found her groove again and will have her sights set on a career-best French Open finish.
Osaka has never made it past the third round at Roland Garros, but has reasons for optimism going into this year’s edition of the Grand Slam. She has a 9-5 win-loss record for the year, and gave world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka a big scare at the Madrid Open last month.
