Naomi Osaka reveals it was during the pandemic when she sat by herself and realized she wanted to use her voice to address certain issues. During the 2021 French Open, Osaka opened up about her battle with anxiety and depression.
A year and a half later, Osaka has become one of the biggest advocates for athletes’ mental health. “I think I’m slowly getting comfortable with using my voice but for me it was probably during quarantine like when COVID first came out.
I didn’t have anything to do, so I sat by myself and I was just thinking about my life and what I want to accomplish and I think all in all I just wanted to feel like I didn’t shy away from issues that I felt heavy in my heart,” Osaka said TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.
Osaka: I’m always curious and always want to do something
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is also establishing herself in the business world. Last year, Osaka launched a sun-care brand – KINLO. “It has been fun.
It’s been a process. I’ve learned a lot during the creation of KINLO and when I was younger, I actually didn’t wear sunscreen because I was like, ‘my melanin will protect me’ and I think there’s a lot of people that feel that way.
So, just the education process of it was definitely really interesting. I’m the type that always likes to do something and I’m always curious. So, it’s nice that I get to learn like the behind the scenes of everything.
So, I definitely have projects coming up and I hope maybe I’ll be on here again,” Osaka said. This year, Osaka appeared in a total of 11 tournaments. However, she has signed up to start her 2023 season in Australia.
At the Australian Open, Osaka is a two-time champion. Osaka hasn’t won any titles since she won the 2021 Australian Open title.
