Naomi Osaka wore a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor. She wore it before and after her first-round victory at the US Open. Breonna Taylor was a black woman who was fatally shot by police.
Osaka brought seven face coverings to Flushing Meadows – the same number of wins it takes to claim a Grand Slam trophy. Each of her face coverings are in honour of a different person.
Osaka hopes that she can get the chance to raise awareness about racial injustice by using each mask during her stay in New York.
The world’s highest-earning female athlete walked out on court for her match on Monday night with a black mask and white lettering with Breonna Taylor’s name. She was a 26-year-old shot when police officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky apartment. They used a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation in March.
Osaka put the mask back on for her post-match interview.
Osaka is now 34-1 in Grand Slam matches when taking the first set; the only loss came against Simona Halep at the 2016 French Open.
Next up for her is a match against Camila Giorgi of Italy.
“She’s very unpredictable for me,” Osaka said, “so I guess I just have to be on my toes.”