Naomi Osaka isn’t letting negativity get to her, as evidenced by a few posts made to social media over the weekend, addressing those upset over a recent event she threw. And believe us when we tell you, her response is just as classy yet direct as you might think.
For a bit of context, you should know that over the weekend, the Grand Slam winner decided to co-host an exclusive dinner in France for Black tennis players with fellow tennis star Taylor Townsend, as the French Open continues to get underway. Dubbed the “Black Party,” the intimate dinner was attended by folks like Coco Gauff, Asia Muhammad, Christopher Eubanks, and more.
And while many of both Townsend and Osaka’s Black fans were quick to praise the event, with many calling it “beautiful,” “Black excellence,” and more on Instagram—there were a handful of others online who saw the event as nothing but racist and exclusionary.
“Half black/half Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka held a dinner party exclusively for black tennis players before the French Open She defended the party by claiming there have been segregated white-only parties (Without proof, of course) This woman is insufferable,” wrote one user on X/Twitter.
“Imagine is a white tennis player today said I’m holding a whites only party. Osaka would be the first one at a mic crying racism,” said another.
“How does someone of mixed race heritage end up being so bloody racist?,” one other user wrote.
Added another: “If a white Tennis player held a party where black players were not allowed, there would be a global outrage and understandable too.”
However, after so much time and seeing the backlash to her good deed increasing, Osaka took to Threads to address it a couple of since-deleted posts over the weekend.
“You know I’m seeing a little bit of- ‘Why can’t you love everyone for all skin tones?’ and ‘what if someone had an all white party?!’ First of all I do love everyone for who they are no matter their race + ethnicity, (I’m literally half Japanese lol),” she began in one post as captured by The Tennis Letter. “I can only speak from my experiences in my own life though, growing up as a tennis player I didn’t see many people that looked like ME and I feel like it’s important to celebrate them. “
She continued: “Secondly I feel like it’s important to note that there have been all white dinners/parties. I don’t know how else to tell you this, I literally seen them all the time and never had an issue with it at all. To the people who ask this question I want to ask you this question too, ‘What is it about POC getting together that unsettles you so much?’”
Osaka concluded, “I want to end this by saying I grew up watching my dad get discriminated against, having the cops called on him multiple times at the tennis court. There are multiple things I will apologize for in my life but celebrating being black and appreciating who we are will never be something I would consider saying sorry for. Thanks. Actually I lied, I am sorry. I’m sorry for the people who cannot comprehend in their brains that this is not about exclusion, this is a celebration about how far we have come.”
