The Osaka Era

The face of women’s tennis has been almost entirely undisputed for the entire 21st century. Serena Williams is not only one of the greatest female tennis players ever, but also one of the greatest athletes of all time. With 39 total Grand Slam titles and 73 career titles in all, she has been a formidable force on the court for the past 20 years. Now at the age of 39, her decline is, unfortunately, inevitable. And as if the world didn’t know yet, this year’s Australian Open (AO) semifinals made it clear who the next big female tennis star will be: 23-year-old Naomi Osaka.

Born in Japan, Osaka’s family moved to the U.S. when she was three. Though she is half-Japanese and half-Haitian, she has always represented Japan when she plays. Starting her professional career very young, she was ranked in the Women’s Tennis Association’s top 50 by the age of 19. Since then, Osaka has won two U.S. Open titles and two AO titles and ranked in the top five for the past three years. She won the 2021 AO final in two sets against American Jennifer Brady, but perhaps more significantly, she brutally defeated Williams 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals. One of only three players to win her first four Grand Slam finals, Osaka is now clearly the women’s tour player to beat. The bittersweet truth is: the Williams era is ending, and the Osaka era is here.

Primarily, Osaka is a lethal tournament player thanks largely to her natural competitive instinct. Before this year’s final, she said, “I have this mentality that people don't remember the runners-up. I think I fight the hardest in the finals. I think that's where you sort of set yourself apart.” And she does set herself apart. She shines in Grand Slam arenas and has won every big stage final that she’s appeared in. She can step up and perform in the big moments; it can’t be easy going up against an athlete like Williams, but Osaka has defeated her for multiple titles. Known for her powerful serves, Osaka led the AO women’s singles in aces with 50, her runner-up only hitting 35. She is also on a roll with a 21-match winning streak, and her career is just beginning. There’s no way to know if her career will match the longevity and prosperity of Williams’s, but she is definitely headed in the right direction.

In addition to athletic talent, a superstar athlete must have a brand. Osaka is young, bicultural, charismatic, and a role model to many young athletes because of her great success. Thus, she is a perfect marketing icon and seems to have no problem bringing in cash: in 2020 she became the highest-paid female athlete ever, raking in $37.4 million with $34 million from endorsements. These endorsements range from MasterCard to Nissan Motors, and she even has her own Nike line. Not only is she successful, but she has also been an outspoken activist and uses her platform to bring attention to issues around racial injustice. Last August, she dropped out of the Cincinnati Open in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake. Then, during the U.S. Open that she went on to win, she wore several face masks printed with the names of black victims of police brutality and violence. She was acknowledged by many for her outstanding efforts to bring awareness to these prevalent issues. Even the 12-time Grand Slam title winner, legendary Billie Jean King acknowledged her and said, “[Osaka is] a leader not only in women’s tennis but in all of sports and a force for change in our society.” Osaka was also selected the 2020 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press for her passion off the court as well as her accomplishments on it.

Williams’s glory isn’t completely gone and probably won’t be for a while. But as she fades, a new star is getting brighter in the world of women’s tennis.