OLYMPICS

Naomi Osaka faces biggest challenge of her career at Olympics — on and off the court

The 2020 Tokyo Games represent a true test of character for a player who has openly struggled to handle the media spotlight in recent times

Naomi Osaka during her first round match at the French Open in Paris in May. | PETE KIEHART / THE NEW YORK TIMES

By Joel Tansey
Staff writer

Jul 19, 2021

It was less than a week after the 2018 U.S. Open final and Naomi Osaka, the newly crowned queen of tennis, had just arrived in Japan.

There were awkward smiles, staged photographs and the constant click of cameras as the first Japanese player to ever win a Grand Slam singles title had her first close-up with domestic media following that victory.

What did the burgeoning star — fresh off a drama-filled win over Serena Williams — think of her seemingly overnight rise to superstardom?

Naomi Osaka faces biggest challenge of her career at Olympics — on and off the court

The 2020 Tokyo Games represent a true test of character for a player who has openly struggled to handle the media spotlight in recent times

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