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Naomi Osaka is named Athlete of the Year

This year there were few opportunities for Japanese athletes to be in the limelight. However, one athlete also took advantage of the small opportunities and once again caused an international stir, the tennis player Naomi Osaka. She has now been officially named AP Athlete of the Year.

On Sunday, the Associated Press (AP) announced that it would join Naomi Osaka Sportswoman of the year have chosen. In the vote among the editors, she was able to win a total of 18 of the 35 votes and took first place with 71 points.

Osaka impresses with activism against racism

In second place was the basketball player Breanna Stewart with 60 points and in third place the soccer player Sarah Fuller made it with 24 points. The title of best athlete of the year, however, went to basketball player LeBron James.

Naomi Osaka won her third Grand Slam title at the US Open this year and is currently third in the world rankings. At the same time, she spoke out loudly against police violence and discrimination against blacks. During the tournament, she openly supported the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing masks with the names of victims of police violence.

In a tune-up tournament in New York, she had previously canceled her participation in the semifinals in protest. She thus joined the NBA protests, where players protested the police shooting a black man. In response, the whole tennis tournament was paused.

More than just a tennis player

Many athletes, also from other areas, praised and supported her for her activism. With her small gestures, she managed to make racism a topic of conversation not only in tennis.

WTA Chairman and CEO, Steve Simon, told Osaka that she showed how individuals and sports leagues can make a difference together. She is not only an excellent tennis player, but also uses her platform for important things than just the game. Simon cited Osaka’s actions as inspiration and deserved all possible attention.

In an interview, Osaka stated that it was difficult to be isolated from her family most of the time. But it is nothing compared to the problems of others. For her, it was sad to learn about the people who suffered from Covid-19 and how the pandemic affected people’s lives. According to Osaka, it was a tough year for many people.

Naomi Osaka wants to keep working hard on herself

Speaking of the Black Lives Matter protests, she said it broke her heart when she heard about the police violence against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake. She is therefore proud not only to have won the US Open, but also to have got people talking about the real problems. In any case, it was the right time for them to comment on the issues.

During her protest at the tournament, she didn’t really think about what the others would think of her, as it wouldn’t have stopped her anyway. Colin Kaepernick and LeBron in particular had a positive influence on her and gave her the strength to make her own decisions.

For the next year, Osaka plans to continue to work hard, improve, speak out loud, and be kind. She is also looking forward to the Olympic Games in Japan. She can’t wait to meet the athletes who trained for over a decade to celebrate 2020.

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