Australian Open favorite Naomi Osaka heads to Melbourne seeking a fourth Grand Slam title to further fuel her ascent toward the top of the women’s game on court and amplify her voice off it.
The Japanese star won the last major of 2020 in New York, arriving for each of her matches at the U.S. Open wearing a face mask bearing the name of a different Black American who had died as result of racial injustice.
Osaka has been an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, both in Japan and the United States, where she lives, using her profile to advance the cause.