NEW YORK - Naomi Osaka capped a transformative US Open with another Grand Slam title and a challenge to the millions watching across the globe on Saturday to"start talking" about racial justice.
Asked after her final what message she hoped to send with her masks, she turned the question on her interviewer:"What was the message that you got?"Osaka, who was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother, spent her formative years in the United States and lives in Los Angeles. She represents her birth country in competition but her influence defies international borders.
One of the most recognised personalities in Japan, Osaka sent shockwaves through her sport before the tournament even began. Tennis pioneer Billie Jean King said the action put her in the pantheon of the greatest athlete activists.