Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka among tennis players to feature on jerseys at World Surf League in honor of International Women's Day
In honor of International Women's Day, which falls on 8 March every year, surfers at the MEO Pro Portugal have chosen to wear jerseys that feature the names of women athletes who inspired them. Among the stars who have found their way onto the jerseys are tennis legends Serena Williams, Billie Jean King and Maria Bueno.
Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka and current World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty have also been picked by multiple surfers to be honored in this manner. The event in Portugal comes under the umbrella of the World Surf League and will take place from March 3-13.
Surfers in Portugal are using names of women that inspired them. @KanoaIgarashi for example using @naomiosaka’s name, Jake Marshal going with @serenawilliams! Three different Australian surfers paying tribute to @ashbarty and two Brazilians to the great Maria Bueno! https://t.co/FYQy14laSP
Japanese-American surfer Kanoa Igarashi and Brazilian surfer Samuel Pupo went with Osaka's name on their respective jerseys, while Australians Isabella Nichols, Molly Picklum and Bronte Macaulay went with compatriot Barty.
Lakey Peterson, a former No. 1 in the women's WSL rankings, honored fellow American Billie Jean King by displaying her name on her jersey. US surfer Jake Marshall also picked a compatriot in the shape of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, all CT surfers are competing wearing jerseys with the name of the trailblazing female athlete who inspires them most. Watch them live at MEO Pro Portugal pres. by Rip Curl, worldsurfleague.com. #iwd2022 https://t.co/zp7KX93SaN
Miguel Pupo and Felipe Toledo showed their respect for the legendary Maria Bueno, the first woman to win the Calendar Grand Slam in doubles, by wearing jerseys that displayed the Brazilian's name.
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have inspired millions with their advocacy of mental health wellness
Naomi Osaka has been at the forefront of a campaign to normalize discussions about mental health in the tennis community. The four-time Grand Slam champion made waves in the sport during the 2021 French Open when she announced that she would not be attending mandatory press conferences.
Instead, the Japanese wanted to prioritize her mental health. Osaka went on to pull out of the tournament soon afterward, and took a short break from the sport. She also revealed that she had been suffering from depression for a long time, drawing attention to the issue at the elite level.
#BREAKING "I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while"
Wiping away tears, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, says she will take an indefinite break from playing tennis after upset third-round US Open loss https://t.co/j23zuclVMp
Although the former World No. 1 returned briefly for the Tokyo Olympics, she once again took a hiatus following the US Open and only returned to action this year.
Serena Williams has been a constant advocate for mental health as well, openly discussing her struggles with postpartum depression. The American was part of a recent panel alongside Prince Harry for BetterUp, a company that provides mental health services. During the discussion, she encouraged fans to embrace failure in order to grow stronger and also talked about the importance of setting boundaries to protect mental health.
Serena Williams says Prince Harry is her coach and solves all her life problems.
Love that. He's a whole good person, great friend, people's prince, soldier and a coach as well. Is there anything he cant do?
#betterup https://t.co/jGo7yxx420
Besides mental health, the 40-year-old is involved with projects that promote gender and racial diversity, body positivity, and inclusivity of all kinds.