Osaka wore a face mask with the name of a Black American victim in each of her U.S. Open matchesGETTY IMAGES
Naomi Osaka was already being hailed as the future of the WTA and a "next-gen marketing magnate," but her social activism in recent months "took her beyond the court and into the national dialogue," according to a cover story by T.L. Stanley of ADWEEK. Osaka "boycotted an August match in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis.," and on her way to overtaking Serena Williams as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, Osaka "showed up to each of her seven U.S. Open matches in a custom-made face mask bearing the name of a Black American victim." Osaka's opinions about systemic racism and defunding the police "could, in certain corporate circles, be considered sponsor-unfriendly," but her "growing roster of brand partners, which includes Shiseido, Nissan, Citizen watches, BodyArmor and Hyperice, stood by her." Mastercard Senior VP/Global Sponsorships Michael Robichaud said the company, part of her lineup for about a year, "created a digital video with Osaka and Billie Jean King as a forum for the two champions to 'authentically speak from the heart' about the challenges of breaking barriers and pushing for social change." Osaka's agent and manager, IMG Tennis Senior VP Stuart Duguid, said, "There's an argument that she was risking a lot. But the decision for her was easy. She was absolutely categorical about it, and she wasn't going to change her mind" (ADWEEK, 11/16 issue).
