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Naomi Osaka made a statement as she walked onto the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night.
She hopes to stick around long enough to make six more.
The No. 4 seed wore a black face mask that had Breonna Taylor’s name on it, then went the distance to fend off Misaki Doi 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in her first-round match at the U.S. Open.
The 2018 U.S. Open champion said after the match that she has six more masks with six different names on them. Taylor, the 26-year-old black woman who was shot and killed by police in Louisville in March, was the first as Osaka tries to keep the fight for racial equality and social justice in the spotlight. She will get to wear all six if she reaches the final, taking the first step Monday night.
“It’s quite sad that seven masks isn’t enough for the amount of names,” Osaka said in an on-court interview. “Hopefully I’ll get to the finals and you can see all of them.”
It came days after Osaka announced she would withdraw from the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open to join other athletes in the NBA and MLB who were sitting out games. The tournament was eventually put on hold for a day, but Osaka said on social media she was “sick” of seeing black people being killed by police.
“Before I am [an] athlete, I am a black woman,” Osaka, a native of Japan, tweeted. “And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis.”
Osaka eventually won the semifinal but withdrew from the final because of a hamstring strain.
The injury didn’t visibly hurt her Monday night, but she needed all three sets to avoid the upset by the unseeded Doi.
“It was very difficult and I kind of expected it because first-round nerves and also she’s a very tough opponent,” said Osaka, who will face Camila Giorgi in the second round. “So I knew there was a chance it would get really long. I just have to see what happens tomorrow and how I feel.
“The leg felt relatively good. It was still a little bit sore but it felt relatively good today. During the match, it slowly got a little bit worse. I feel like there’s some recovery time I’m lacking that I wish I could get back, but for the most part, I’m managing.”
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