Ace Tennis star Naomi Osaka has become the first female Black athlete and the first female Japanese athlete to land on the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. An excited Osaka said that she never thought of being the first one, and added that she was glad that the barrier is broken.
Praising the former World No. 1 for her professional achievements, Sports Illustrated editor said that the issue celebrates Naomi for her passion, strength, and power, geared towards consistently breaking barriers when it comes to equality, social justice, and mental health.
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The 23-year-old Tennis superstar recently withdrew from the French Open over mental health concerns. The 4 time Grand Slam winner who was named the Sports Illustrated's Person of the Year in 2020 for her activism, is now set to take part in the upcoming Tokyo 2020 games.