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Naomi Osaka pulls out of W&S Open in protest of USA’s racial injustice

By Brandon Daniels

SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 29: Naomi Osaka of Japan fields questions from the media during a press conference after withdrawing from the tournament due to a right shoulder injury on Day Three of the 2019 Shiseido WTA Finals at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on October 29, 2019 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 29: Naomi Osaka of Japan fields questions from the media during a press conference after withdrawing from the tournament due to a right shoulder injury on Day Three of the 2019 Shiseido WTA Finals at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on October 29, 2019 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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Naomi Osaka has officially pulled out fo the W&S Open in protest of the racial injustice that has enveloped the United States this summer.

Naomi Osaka has officially pulled out of the Western & Southern Open in protest of the racial injustice and police brutality that is sweeping through the United States. It was made public on social media by the tennis star herself through a lengthy note describing her current feelings and reasoning for withdrawal.

“Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman,” Osaka stated in her note. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention.”

“Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of police is honestly making me sick to my stomach,” she continued. “When will it ever be enough?”

Osaka’s decision came in light of the ongoing violence towards the black community that has taken countless victims over the last few months. Most recently, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Wisconsin resident, was shot seven times in the back from point-blank range, leading to major paralysis.

Osaka, despite backlash from her home country of Japan, has been one of the most vocal tennis players when discussing the topic. She was a marcher in Minneapolis (where George Floyd was murdered) and has been a constant in the Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles, where she currently resides.

“I’m vocal because I believe in the movement and want to try to use my platform to facilitate change,” Osaka said in a June email to Japan Times.

Osaka’s leadership and poise throughout the whole situation has put her at the forefront of the movement in the tennis world and is looking to strive for change each and every day.

“I’m hopeful for change, I’ll keep campaigning for change, and I demand a better future for the next generation.”

Osaka joins the list of teams and athletes boycotting their respective sports in order to campaign for change. The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, and subsequentially the 7 other teams that were set to take the floor both today and tomorrow. The MLB has taken a similar approach as they postponed 3 games.

Next. Playing to Win: How Coco Gauff is a star both on and off the court. dark

This all comes at a time where sports simply aren’t big enough to carry on.

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