Naomi Osaka Wears 7th Face Mask—This One Emblazoned With Tamir Rice’s Name—For U.S. Open Final

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September 13, 2020

Topline

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has used her run to the U.S. Open finals to draw attention to police brutality and racism by donning face masks with the names of Black people killed in violent interactions with either police or others allegedly motivated by racism—and in her finals match Saturday, she unveiled the seventh and last mask name: Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy killed by police in Cleveland in 2014.

Naomi Osaka’s face mask ahead of the U.S. Open finals features the name of Tamir Rice, a Cleveland … [+] 12-year-old who was killed by police in 2014.

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Key Facts

Osaka came prepared with seven face masks to wear—one for each round of the U.S. Open, granted she made it to the finals—all emblazoned with the name of a Black victim of violence.

She wore masks with the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijiah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castile and Tamir Rice.

The families of some of the victims Osaka chose to represent with her face masks have shared their support for her statement through recorded messages with ESPN—Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton thanked Osaka and told her to “continue to do well, continue to kick butt at the U.S. Open.”

Ahmaud Arbery Sr., Ahmaud Arbery’s father, said: “Naomi, I just want to tell you thank you for the support for my family and God bless you for what you’re doing.”

“It means a lot,” Osaka said in response to the videos. “They’re so strong. I’m not sure what I would be able to do if I was in their position. I feel like I’m a vessel at this point to spread awareness. It’s not going to dull the pain, but hopefully I can help with anything that they need.”

What To Watch For

She’ll likely wear the seventh and final mask—she hasn’t identified who it will represent—before and after she plays the U.S. Open finals Saturday against Victoria Azarenka, a match that will be Osaka’s third Grand Slam title if she wins.

Key Background

It’s not Osaka’s first time speaking out on social justice issues. Last month, she announced she would skip the Western & Southern Open tournament semifinals to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Wisconsin. “Before I am [an] athlete, I am a Black woman. 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 said in a statement. The tournament agreed to pause play for one day as a symbol of standing against racial inequality, and Osaka played her semifinal the next day.