It’s no secret that Naomi Osaka is a giant in the sports world. At just 23 years old, she is ranked #1 by the Women’s Tennis Association. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and is the reigning champion of the Australian Open and the US Open.
But Osaka’s name is just as big off the court as it is on the court. In fact, in the last 12 months, Osaka made a whopping $55.2 million, increasing her net worth by a staggering amount.
Like Osaka herself, the tennis player’s $55.2 million payday is both historic and record-breaking. In fact, according to Sportico, no other female athlete in history has made such a substantial amount of money in just a year’s time.
But how did Osaka manage to make so much in 12 months? While she earned $5.2 million on the court from prize money, the biggest jump in her net worth came from her off court experiences.
Sponsorships, partnerships, and more helped the talented athlete earn the additional $50 million.
Naomi Osaka greatly increased her net worth in 2020
While Celebrity Net Worth puts Osaka’s net worth at $25 million, that does not take her 2020 earnings into consideration, so it is likely much higher. It seems that Osaka is using her money to help protect herself and her mental health.
The tennis player recently took to her Instagram to announce that she will not be doing any press for the French Open. Instead, she has chosen to incur the steep fines for skipping the press conference.
“Hey everyone,” Osaka began in a statement. “Hope you’re all doing well, I’m writing this to say I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros.
I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.
We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”
The tennis player released a statement on Instagram sharing that she would not do press for the French Open.
Continuing on, Osaka shared that her decision was nothing against the French Open. “I’ve watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well,” she added.
“I believe the whole situation is kicking a person while they’re down and I don’t understand the reasoning behind it. Me not doing press is nothing personal to the tournament and a couple journalists have interviewed me since I was young so I have a friendly relationship with most of them.”
Finally, Osaka revealed that she hoped the money she’d lose for her choice would be put to good use. “However, if the organizations think that they can just keep saying, ‘Do press or you’re gonna be fined,’ and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are at the centerpiece of their corporation, then I just gotta laugh.
Anyways, I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity. xoxo.”
Osaka is prioritizing her mental health
It’s great that Osaka is taking a stand and protecting her mental health. Hopefully, her decision will inspire other athletes who can afford it to do the same which, in turn, will lead to the organization changing their stance.
Though Osaka’s decision will likely result in a decrease in her net worth, her peace of mind is worth more than anything else.
