Naomi Osaka recognizes Billie Jean King's iconic 'Battle of the Sexes' on its 50th anniversary
Naomi Osaka reminisced on Billie Jean King's iconic 'Battle of the Sexes' win on its 50th anniversary, fondly recalling the impact it has had on women's tennis.
On 20 September 1973, King beat Bobby Riggs in what has become one of the most recognized tennis matches of all time. Over 90 million people have reportedly watched the match worldwide, and it played a key role in championing the ideas of gender equality and women's rights in the sport.
Hana Kuma, a "story-driven production company" that is owned by Osaka, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King's victory with a heartfelt tribute on social media on Wednesday.
Crediting the American icon for paving the way to make tennis the sport where women are the highest-paid, the post hailed King for the impact she, and her win over Bobby Riggs, has had on the sports world.
"50 years ago today, on September 20, 1973, @billiejeanking defeated Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, a tennis match watched by 90 million people worldwide. The impact of her victory not only permeated the sports world, but also advanced women’s rights and equality everywhere."
"Today, women tennis players are the highest paid of any sport and the effects of Billie Jean's win continue. The work is not done, but today we celebrate greatness. She won, we won. Thank you, Billie Jean," the post read.
Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, reposted the message on her Instagram stories, standing in celebration of King and her greatness.
Naomi Osaka set to be back in action next year following maternity leave
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka is set to be back in action next year, starting as early as the Australian Open if things go according to plan. The Japanese is currently on maternity leave and very recently gave birth to her firstborn—a daughter named 'Shai.'
Speaking in a recent interview, the former World No. 1 had admitted that she had never thought she would be back on tour after having a kid as she had always felt that becoming a mother signaled the "end of your career."
Regardless, the four-time Grand Slam champion felt differently once she had her kid, as it just reminded her of how much she loved tennis and how hard she had worked to get to the top of the game.
"Actually, there was a lot of pressure I felt for me. For me, I always had the assumption that if you have a kid, it’s basically the end of your career. I don’t really see a lot of women on the tennis tour with kids. They are usually a bit older, and it just seems like a very hard taxing on your body," Naomi Osaka said.
"I just never really thought if I had a kid, I’d go back on the tour. But I feel like it was a magical moment for me. It just made me think of all the things I love and appreciate and it just made me really want to work hard… I’ve played tennis since I was three and I want to appreciate the time that I can still play," she added.
Moreover, the trend of mothers being back on tour has picked up in recent times, with Elina Svitolina and Caroline Wozniacki returning, and the likes of Angelique Kerber set to make a comeback next year as well.