Naomi Osaka inspires the creation of a new 'manga' in Japan
Naomi Osaka won her third Grand Slam title at the US Open this year, and in the process also voiced her strong stance against racial injustice. Osaka has emerged as one of the world's most recognized sportspersons in 2020, as well as a role model for people of all ages.
The 23-year-old's exploits both on and off the court will now be honored in a very special way, with a Japanese magazine set to publish a cartoon based on her life. Naomi Osaka has inspired a 'manga' in her native country, which will appear in the 28 December issue of the magazine 'Nakayoshi'.
The manga work is called 'Unrivaled Naomi Tenka-ichi', and will be overseen by her sister and fellow tennis player Mari Osaka. The idea has been spearheaded by twin sisters Jitsuna Kamikita and Kizuna Kamikita - popularly known as 'Futago Kamikita' - who are best known for the manga versions of the 'Pretty Cure' franchise.
This is really exciting for both my sister and me: Naomi Osaka on being the inspiration for a 'manga'
Speaking through her Twitter account, the US Open champion claimed she was 'really excited' by the honor given that she has been a lifelong manga fan.
"Growing up reading manga and watching 'anime' is something that united me and my sister immensely, so this is really exciting for both of us," Naomi Osaka posted on Twitter.
Naomi Osaka was a very public advocate of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement during her remarkable run on the American hardcourts this year. She emerged as the runner-up at the Western & Southern Open and the champion at the US Open, but she received as much applause for her social justice campaign as for her on-court success.
Osaka had even refused to participate in the Western & Southern Open amid the fallout of the George Floyd incident that had gripped the United States. The 23-year-old followed that up by appearing for each of her seven matches at the US Open wearing a mask that sported the name of a racial injustice victim.
Osaka's exploits off the court have only increased her popularity both within and without the tennis community. She is the highest-paid female athlete in the world right now, and seems set to scale further heights in the years to come.