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Naomi Osaka’s Noble Initiative to Uplift Girls Through Takes a New Shape in Tokyo

Published 09/28/2022, 8:20 AM EDT

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via Reuters

The Japanese tennis sensation, Naomi Osaka, has a heart of gold. She is constantly involved in social activities and supporting those around her in leading fulfilling lives. The former world number one takes a more active role in encouraging girls to participate in different sports.

Osaka is a founding member of a play academy that aims to help young girls to have basic opportunities to make their way into sports. The idea of the academy came to her after seeing how tennis changed her life.

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Naomi Osaka visits the play academy in Tokyo

Following her abrupt withdrawal from the round of 16 at the Tokyo Open last week, Osaka is currently spending time in Japan. She visited the play academy and spent some time playing games and having conversations with the girls there. The official site of the academy shared a series of pictures on their Instagram handle that included the Japanese star.

The four-time Grand Slam champion participated in a few games of soccer and other extracurriculars there. She was pictured having a great time, while the tennis star choose to wear a simple grey top and a pair of black pants with her funky neon jacket on the top paired with white sneakers and hair tied up.  

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For added good, the Academy has partnerships with Nike and Laureus Sports. The Academy is located in Los Angeles, Haiti, and Tokyo. The four-time grand slam winner is originally from California, and her father is of Haitian-American descent. Additionally, they provide funds for community-based sports organizations to undergo instruction in capacity-building.

Osaka made a walkover in the Tokyo Open

The former world number one Pan Pacific Open journey came to an unexpected end when she withdrew her stand against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round of the tournament due to an abdominal injury. The Japanese star also withdrew from the semi-finals of the Melbourne Summer Set 1 tournament earlier this year due to the same. Osaka endured a difficult season, as a result of injuries and mental health issues.

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However, since making her way to the Miami Open finals, tennis fans are waiting eagerly to see Osaka play in her excellent form. She was unable to progress past the first round in any further tournaments. Notably, she missed her entire grass-court opportunity owing to an Achilles injury.  

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Written by:

Pratishtha Prakash

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Pratishtha Prakash is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Journalism from MIT ADT University, Pune. In the past, she has interned at the sports desk of The Hitavada, a regional English daily newspaper.
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Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi