Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has been praised for her response to a question regarding Black Lives Matter after winning the US Open.
Osaka won the tournament after beating Victoria Azarenka on Saturday two sets to one, claiming her third Grand Slam trophy.
Throughout the tournament, Osaka wore different masks sporting the names of African Americans who were killed by police.
The seven masks worn over Osaka’s seven matches featured the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Tamir Rice.
Shortly after Osaka’s tournament win, ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi asked the 22-year-old, “You said from the beginning you had seven matches, seven masks, [and] seven names. What was the message you wanted to send?”
“Well, what was the message you got? [That] was more the question,” Naomi responded.
“I feel like the point is to make people start talking,” she continued.
“What was most gratifying about the awareness you raised?” Rinaldi then asked.
“Well for me, I’ve been inside of the bubble so I’m not really sure what’s really going on in the outside world,” Osaka admitted.
“All I can tell is what’s going on on social media, and for me I feel like the more retweets it gets…that’s so lame, but you know, the more people talk about it,” she added.
On Twitter, many showed their support of Osaka and how she dealt with the question.
“I couldn’t be a bigger fan,” wrote The Black List founder Franklin Leonard.
“Thank you for turning the question back Naomi. Thank you for everything,” tweeted another social media user.
“What was so good about Naomi’s “well, what was the message you got?” response is, it immediately makes you reflect and ask yourself that question. The fact that it was so spontaneous!! She’s so smart! Love her!” Wrote another.
Last month, Osaka left the WTA tournament in New York over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
“What was the message that you got was more the question. I feel like the point is to make people start talking.”
Naomi Osaka explained why she wore seven facemasks to honor Black victims of racial injustice. pic.twitter.com/Vd0kqqmRP1
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2020
Naomi Osaka brought seven face masks to the US Open.
Each mask highlights a different Black victim of racial injustice and police brutality.
– Breonna Taylor
– Elijah McClain
– Ahmaud Arbery
– Trayvon Martin
– George Floyd
– Philando CastileToday: Tamir Rice
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) September 12, 2020
Osaka turns it around when asked what message she was trying to send with her masks: Well, what was the message you got? #USOpen
— Hemal Jhaveri (@hemjhaveri) September 12, 2020
Best moment of the entire #usopen
Tom Rinaldi: “You had seven masks with seven names, what was the message you wanted to send?”
Naomi Osaka: “Well… what was the message you got?” pic.twitter.com/Kw4iUZRtsK
— Chris Spargo (@chrisonchris) September 12, 2020
Tom Rinaldi: “You said from the beginning you had 7 matches, 7 masks, 7 names. What was the message you wanted to send, Naomi?”
Naomi Osaka: “Well, what was the message you got?”
Instant queen status #USOpen
— Micah White (@micahwhite) September 12, 2020
Also, What was so good about Naomi’s “well, what was the message you got?” response is, it immediately makes you reflect and ask yourself that question. The fact that it was so spontaneous!! She’s so smart! Love her!
— NoFirstName Quarantinerer (@samstennis189) September 13, 2020
When asked about her masks, @naomiosaka she replied, “Well, what was the message you got?”
This. This. This.
Thank you for turning the question back Naomi. Thank you for everything.
— Sheila Roberts-Veatch (@she_veatch) September 12, 2020
I couldn’t be a bigger fan. https://t.co/aIsU4F8HB7
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) September 12, 2020
