Naomi Osaka is back on the courts and practicing hard for her next tournament, which is the Indian Wells. She has a blockbuster first-round match with former World No. 3 Sloane Stephens, and all eyes are turned towards that.
While she played on a limited schedule in 2021 to focus on her mental health, she also did not have the best start to the year in terms of results, but she seems to be back and practicing hard for the next challenge.

Naomi Osaka has an exclusive deal with Nike, but it was a different sartorial choice that turned heads at the practice courts recently.

Naomi Osaka promotes her new collaboration

She recently posted a picture of her practising ahead of her first match at the Indian Wells. In the picture, she is seen wearing a North Carolina Courage jersey, with her name embossed on it. Many might not be aware, Naomi Osaka is part owner of the pro team.

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Even though she took a break from tennis last year. However, Osaka was quite busy in terms of artistic and business endeavors. In January 2021, she bought stakes in the North Carolina Courage. The NC Courage is one of the teams in the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League.

She announced the news on Twitter, and also shared why this partnership was special to her.

Osaka is one of the most marketable athletes on the planet, regardless of her sport, and she was the highest-paid female athlete in 2020, as per Forbes. “I’ve been wanting to get involved with the NWSL for a while, to promote women’s sports and also as a business investment because I can see it growing rapidly,” Osaka said, in an interview with People.

“First and foremost, I really like the people running the club from top to bottom. They align so closely with my values and interests — promoting women’s sports through grassroots and using the team as a platform to do good in the community,” she also added.

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Let’s hope she can sustain her positive attitude this year. And add another Grand-Slam with her dominating game.