Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, 25, admits she wasn’t prepared for what was to come following her first Major victory. In the 2018 US Open final, Osaka stunned Serena Williams to lift her first Grand Slam title.
At the time of her US Open victory, Osaka was just 20. Shortly after her first Grand Slam triumph, Osaka quickly became one of the most popular players and she landed several lucrative sponsorship and endorsement deals.
It was a completely new world for Osaka, who was often described as an introverted type of person. “For me, it all started here, however many years ago when I won my first Slam. But I wasn’t really prepared for everything that happened after that.
I don’t think anything in the world could,” Osaka said during a panel discussion, per Sportskeeda.
Osaka on getting adjusting to what was her new reality
“I grew up very, I don’t wanna say sheltered but I knew five people.
Suddenly there’s all of these new people and I’m like damn what they say really matters because I grew up like my parents, my sisters and my family members. Their words hold a lot of weight. So I’m just like all of these people and their words must hold a lot of weight as well.
So it took me a really long time to realize that I can put power in what people are saying. It doesn’t mean anything to me then what they saying becomes immediately irrelevant and that’s kind of where I am right now,” Osaka added.
Since, Osaka has become the highest-paid female athlete in the world. Recently, Osaka announced that she’s launching a media company in partnership with NBA superstar LeBron James. Explaining her decision, Osaka said: “For me, I’ve wanted to test new waters. I’m a very challenging person, like the harder something seems, the more I want to attempt to do it.”
