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(Reuters) – Naomi Osaka said on Friday that she never thought her call for racial justice would attract the attention that she did and that she does not want to be called brave for taking a position that led to a one-day strike at the US Open. United States this week. -up event in New York.
The 22-year-old Japanese had initially said she would not play her semifinal on Thursday in an attempt to start a conversation about racism following the police shooting of a black man in Wisconsin last week.
Officials then suspended matches that day and on Friday Osaka entered the court for his semi-final wearing a jersey with a picture of a clenched fist and the words “Black Lives Matter” on the front.
Osaka said he thought the reaction to his stance was something more reserved for some of the biggest names in the game like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.
“It’s definitely a little eye-opening, but in a weird way, because before I just thought the Big Three and Serena would have that kind of power,” Osaka said after booking a spot in the final of Saturday’s Western & Southern Open.
“But also, at the same time, I recognize the fact that maybe the WTA and the ATP wanted to do something like this, but did they need a push from a player to do something like this? So maybe I was kind of their , you know, that player. “
Osaka said she made a promise during the nearly five-month COVID-19 hiatus in the sport not to be shy in the future when it comes to speaking her mind.
“During the quarantine, the most important thing I thought was, like, when I get out of this, I want to grow as a person and I don’t want to have so many regrets in the future,” Osaka said.
“I’m not sure if it’s a lightbulb or if there was a particular moment that prompted me to speak up, but I feel like it’s been building for a while.”
After posting her ad on Wednesday, Osaka said it was a little scary and that she had to turn off her phone because she gets anxious every time people talk about her.
“I don’t feel like I’m brave. I just feel like I’m doing what I should be doing.”
“Honestly, when people say brave or something, I don’t really resonate that well with that. I just feel like it’s not common sense, but this is what I’m supposed to do right now.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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