Naomi Osaka Falls to WTA Women's Singles Rank of 85, TAG Heuer Couldn't Save her

TAG Heuer Ambassador Naomi Osaka Falls to WTA Women's Singles Rank of 85 AOC Fashion

Naomi Osaka arrived at this year’s Australian Open, hoping to turn around a personally-agonizing, very public 2021 challenge to her pro tennis career.

LVMH brand TAG Heuer hoped that their brand ambassador Naomi Osaka would offer positive proof that her special mint green Aquaracer Connected smartwatch was on her wrist, celebrating her return to champion status.

Clearly Osaka could have worn the watch to her championship press conference, had she won the 2022 Australian Open, as the defending champion..

TAG Heuer’s CEO Frédéric Arnault expressed surprise to press that Osaka couldn’t wear her gorgeous green Aquaracer Connected smartwatch on the pro-tennis court. And while AOC loves LVMH to death — and we do, based on the heaps of praise we shower over the Arnault family every week on this website — we don’t believe Frédéric Arnault assertion for one nanosecond:

“We tried, but she cannot wear any connected watch while playing professionally, because players aren’t allowed to communicate with others off the court during a match. And this would be considered a communication device,” he revealed.

Nonsense! LOL. We all know that the tennis players can’t wear or carry smart communications devices in play, and AOC refuses to believe that such business masterminds as the folks at TAG Heurer didn’t know that fact. Nice try, guys.

Naomi Osaka Falls to 85 in WTA Women’s Singles Ratings

Unfortunately, 2022 didn’t start off well for Naomi Osaka, who pulled out of the Melbourne WTA tournament runup to the Open, saying that her body was “in shock” over playing demanding tennis matches back-to-back. Naomi needed to rest her pulled muscles, and sports writers noted that Osaka had pulled out of other warmup tournaments and to hold our collective angst.

In reality, the Australian Open didn’t go much better for Naomi Osaka, who suffered a stunning defeat to upstart American Amanda Anisimova in the third round.

A totally-composed Naomi Osaka did make major progress in front of the cameras, highlighting the reality that she actually had fun playing in the Australian Open tournament. Osaka also reminded us that she’s “not God’ and she can’t win every match, no matter how much heart she’s putting into her tennis game.

In that crushing moment for prior champion, we prepared AOC readers for an epic Naomi Osaka fall in the WTA women’s singles rankings. This morning, January 31, 2022 Naomi Osaka fell — not to 84 in the WTA pro tennis rankings — but to 85.

Naomi Osaka Says She's Not God, Could Drop to 84 in Rankings After Australian Open

Naomi Osaka was overflowing with sass this week, heading into the Australian Open, after her early withdrawal from the warmup tournament Melbourne Summer Set 1. Osaka has said that her primary goal in 2022 is to have fun and never cry again in front of the press.

Losing her third round match Friday night to the promising 20-year-old, 60th-ranked American Amanda Anisimova, Osaka was disappointed but also looking on the bright side of things.

Osaka: “I’m Not God. I can’t win every match, you know.”

“I fought for every point; I can’t be sad about that,” Osaka said. “You know, like, I’m not God. I can’t win every match, you know. So I just have to take that into account and know that it would be nice to win the tournament, but that’s, like, really special.”

Having fun was also important to Anisimova, who said that by the third set against Osaka, she was no loner nervous.

“I love playing in these high-pressure moments, and I think it’s really fun to play in Melbourne in front of a crowd like that. So I was just trying to enjoy every moment really. I kept reminding myself, ‘I’m at a Grand Slam playing against Naomi Osaka, just try to enjoy it, because it’ll be over soon.’”

Naomi Osaka, the defending champion of the Australian Open lit up digital space earlier in the week, saying that she has proved herself enough and that she doesn't give a f--- anymore about those who have something negative to say about her.

Osaka responded directly to a fan who wrote on Instagram: "Enter every match in this tournament like you have something to prove.” It’s not clear that the remark was so snarky or disrespectful, but Osaka fired back:

"Respectfully I don't have anything to prove," Osaka said. "Before my first slam I was told I had potential but probably not gonna capitalize on it. After my first slam I was told I got lucky and I was a one-hit wonder.

After my second Slam I was told I could be great but I was unsure. After my third and fourth slams I was told I will only be good on hard courts. Moral of the story - people are always gonna have something to say and idgaf [I don't give a f***] anymore."

Naomi Osaka Pulls Out of WTA Semi-Final After Body Gets 'Shock' Over Playing Tennis

Australian Open champion, and women’s sports’ highest-paid athlete ever Naomi Osaka pulled out of the Melbourne WTA tournament, considered a run-up to the Open starting January 17 in Melbourne. The Japanese tennis superstar, with a difficult year behind her, entered the semi-finals looking like her mojo was coming back. Osaka left the US Open last September and took four months off from the game of tennis.

“Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back-to-back intense matches after the break I took,” Osaka said on Twitter. “I’ll try to rest up and I’ll see you soon!”

Osaka’s statement continued:

“I had a lot of fun playing here in Melbourne. Unfortunately, I have an abdominal injury which I need to rest and prepare for the Australian Open.”

Related: Naomi Osaka becomes highest-paid female athlete in history after earning $37 million last year CNN

How Naomi Osaka Became Everyone’s Favorite Spokesmodel New York Times

Read all the details about Naomi’s return to tennis.

Naomi Osaka Wins Quarter Final on Friday | Advances to Saturday Semi-Final with Kudermetova

Update 1/7/21: Naomi Osaka beat Germany’s Andrea Petkovic on Friday, advancing to Saturday’s semi-final against Russia’s Veronika Eduardovna Kudermetova.

Naomi Osaka returned to competitive tennis this week, first defeating Alizé Cornet in the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set. Osaka decisively defeated Belgium’s Maryna Zanevska 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday advancing to Friday’s quarter finals, facing Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.

Melbourne 1 is a prelude to the Australian Open, a grand slam event and is currently scheduled for Monday, January 17 to Sunday, January 30.

Playing Cornet, Naomi Osaka had 57 unforced errors, eight of them double faults. Her Thursday 6-1, 6-1 win over Zanevska was decisive.

"I only really have one major goal this year, and it's completely unrelated to results and stuff like that," Osaka said post-match.

"For me, I just want to feel like every time I step on the court I'm having fun. I can walk off the court knowing that even if I lost, I tried as hard as I could."

"I actually really thought I wasn't going to play for most of this year," Osaka told reporters. "I'm really happy with myself that I love the sport that much because I literally said that I was unsure when I was going to play after the US Open and I'm here right now.

"In the break, I was feeling like I didn't know what my future was going to be. I'm pretty sure a lot of people can relate to that. Of course, you never know what the future holds, but it was definitely an indecisive time.

"But I'm really happy to be sitting here right now."

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka further reflected on her own personality and conditioning and her tendency to internalize everything that happens to her.

Over the holidays, AOC watched Osaka’s Netflix documentary series, where this tendency is very obvious. We note that looking at Naomi Osaka’s website just now, we were impacted about how powerful and confident it is. It may be singularly the boldest self-presentation ever — which makes the complexities of Naomi’s psychology of greater interest. She is such an outstanding role model for young women worldwide, and AOC wishes Naomi well in 2022.

Naomi Osaka Set to Warmup in Melbourne Summer Set, Play Australian Open

Naomi Osaka via personal IG for Tag Heurer.

Naomi Osaka, currently ranked No. 13 in WTA rankings, is on track to return to playing professional tennis. The four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka returned to the practice court in early November, after leaving the US Open with the announcement that she needed to step away from the game. Osaka also took a two-month mental health break before the Open.

As of Christmas, Naomi Osaka is scheduled to return to professional tennis at the Melbourne Summer Set, the first week of 2022. Melbourne is a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open, playing January 17-30. Osaka defeated Jennifer Brady in the 2021 Open — her second Melbourne trophy — and is a narrow favorite to win in January 2022, with Brady ranked No. 2.

Emma Raducanu, bringing momentum from her shocking US Open victory in September, is ranked third to win in Australia. Tennis great Serena Williams has confirmed that she will not be playing in Australia.

"While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete," Williams said in confirming her not playing the Open. "Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level."

The Australian Open 2021 was delayed due to COVID and eventually took place February 8 to 21. Omicron has exploded in Australia in recent days — although Delta continues to hospitalize more Aussies. Almost 20 percent of Christmas Eve flights were cancelled today, writes Reuters.

Naomi Osaka Suffers Upset at US Open, Says She Will Take Another Timeout

Republish via AOC at FeedBurner CC 3.0 License Attribution Required: Daily Fashion Design Culture News

Naomi Osaka lost to Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez in Friday’s third round of the US Open tennis tournament. Born to an Ecuadorian father and a Filipino Canadian mother, the 18-year-old ranked 66 in the world of tennis currently trains in Florida.

At her new conference on Friday, Naomi Osaka apologized for her “childlike behavior” on the court, which included throwing her racket. She then said she would be taking another break from tennis.

“Normally, I feel like I like challenges. But recently I feel very anxious when things don’t go my way, and I feel like you can feel that. I’m not really sure why it happens the way it happens now,” said Osaka, who earlier this year acknowledged she has battled depression since she won the US Open in 2018, beating Serena Williams. It was Serena who lost her composure in that match over disagreements with the referee.

Responding in English to a question posed in Japanese, Osaka continued to explain her troubled state of mind.: “I feel like for me recently, like, when I win I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think that’s normal. I didn’t really want to cry, but basically I feel like ...” She teared up but insisted on continuing.

“Basically I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match,” she said, again tearing up. “Sorry. OK, yeah. I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.”

In the words of Matthew Futterman writing for The New York Times:

“Careers cut short because of broken minds rather than aging bodies haunt tennis like ghosts.”

Tennis is a lonely sport — not a team sport — with only one winner.

Naomi Osaka’s year has been filled with complexity. It began in the world of COVID — few sympathies there — but it built on Osaka’s Black activism after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota. After the shooting of Jacob Blake, Naomi single-handedly brought tennis world to a standstill announcing she would not play her semifinal match in the Western & Southern Open as scheduled.

The last six months have been very challenging for Osaka.

Refusing to participate in post-match news conferences at the French Open, Osaka faced an ugly confrontation with the tournament organizers. She withdrew after the first round and became more open about her mental health challenges.

In Japan, where Osaka has become a symbol of a “new, multiracial vision of a traditionally homogeneous society”, she became the face of the games, accepting the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron. It was her first competition since the French Open, and Naomi lost in the third round.

In August Naomi Osaka announced that she would donate her prize money from the Western & Southern Open to Haiti earthquake relief efforts. Again, Osaka struggled and was upset in the third round.

Daria Abramowicz, a sports psychologist interviewed in the Times piece, who has spent about two years on the pro tour with another player , has concluded: “that players can survive careers — inevitably filled with losses and disappointment — only by working every day to build self-worth and self-confidence that is not measured by wins and rankings points but rather relationships. Only then can they find a way to enjoy the process, as enervating as it might be.

“You need to maintain the core values, because without that there is nothing,” Abramowicz said. “There is just burned ground.”

Leyna Bloom, Megan Thee Stallion, Naomi Osaka Cover 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue

Leyna Bloom, Naomi Osaka, Megan Thee Stallion Cover 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue AOC Body

Is the Sports Illustrated Swimwear issue the new barometer on American women’s sexuality?

Three Self-Identifying Black Women Launch Sports Illustrated 2021 Swimsuit Issue

The Sports Illustrated Swimwear cover release was a time for celebration, with trans model Leyna Bloom spotted in first place on photographer Yu Tsai’s IG. Bloom publicized her inclusion in the magazine in March, but Monday’s cover news was a fresh delight.

Tennis champion Naomi Osaka also has a SI swimsuit cover, days ahead of the kickoff of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Today’s third Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover goes to hip hop star Megan Thee Stallion.

We note that all three women identify as Black women, and this reality also must be a first ever, even though few are talking about it. Too much to celebrate, I guess.

Leyna Bloom, First Trans Woman SI Cover

As the first trans person to land on the front page of SI’s annual special issue, Leyna Bloom is breaking new ground.

"I have dreamt a million beautiful dreams, but for girls like me, most dreams are just fanciful hopes in a world that often erases and omits our history and even existence," Bloom wrote of the honor in a lengthy statement on Instagram. "This moment is so powerful because it allows me to live forever even after my physical form is gone. Not a lot of people get to live in the future, so at this moment, I'm proudly choosing to live forever."

Some Osaka Fans ’Revoked’ Her ‘Black’ Card

As Naomi Osaka prepares to play tennis for the Japanese team at the Olympics, she has now spoken of the not so compassionate world she has faced as a mixed-race Haitian Japanese woman identifying as Black. I noted in these pages that Osaka’s depression had to encompass the pride — but also the potential suffering — she would experience not representing the US at the Olympics.

Megan Thee Stallion is only the second musician to be on the cover, and she's the first rapper. Beyoncé covered the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2007.

According to Nielsen Music, "WAP" accrued a record-breaking 93 million streams in the US the week after its release in August 2020.

Before debuting her single "Body" at the American Music Awards in November last year, the rapper preached a motivating message of self-love, and she’s not flying solo in the community of Black women.

Naomi Osaka Covers Vogue Japan August 2021, Saying She Will Play in Olympics

Naomi Osaka Covers Vogue Japan August 2021, Saying She Will Play in Olympics

Tennis star Naomi Osaka covers the August 2021 issue of Vogue Japan, and Naomi did appear on social media to share her cover shot and a preview of the fashion editorial.

"Hi guys. Popping out to post this @voguejapan cover, hope you’re all doing well and staying safe," she wrote.

Patti Wilson styles the shoot with Osaka wearing a Louis Vuitton bralette paired with orange pants on the cover. Vuitton is well represented in the fashion pages, with Naomi being an official ambassador for the luxury brand. Nike also gets good exposure. Zoey Grossman [IG] is behind the lens, as Naomi promises that she will play in the Tokyo Olympics starting July 24, but not on the US team. Naomi will play for Japan.

Naomi Osaka Launches First Swim Collab with Frankies Bikinis on May 10

Naomi Osaka Luanches First Swim Collab with Frankies Bikinis on May 10 Body Politics

Tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams were 2020’s highest-paid female athletes in the world. Osaka took the top spot. with Forbes estimated earnings of $37.4 million, endorsements generating $34 million. Serena lost her four-years running top spot to Osaka, but hardly wept on her way to the bank with an estimated $36 million in earnings, including $32 million in endorsements.

Osaka’s newest venture is her Frankies Bikinis X Naomi Osaka collection, representing the Haitian-Japanese athlete’s first venture into swimwear. The collab drops twice on May 10 and again on May 19 on the Frankies Bikinis website. Each drop includes 30 bikini separates, two maillots and sarongs in sizes XS to XL, with select styles up to 2XL, from $80 to $190 on the brand’s e-commerce.

“I think it’s really important for brands to design for all women, not just certain sizes or shapes or body types. For me, it’s important to align myself with brands that make inclusivity a priority,” Osaka said. “Frankies Bikinis holds high standards for inclusivity, which allows everyone to be able to find products that make them feel confident and empowered. That’s exactly what we aimed to do with this collection.”

Naomi Osaka, Racial Justice Activist, by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue US January 2021

Naomi Osaka, Racial Justice Activist, by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue US January 2021

The public life of Naomi Osaka fast-tracked after her September 8, 2018 US Open upset victory over Serena Williams. Osaka is ranted No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association.

Now Naomi Osaka covers the January 2021 issue of American Vogue, styled by Jordan Bichkam in images by Annie Leibovitz.

In the period between June 2019 and June 2020, Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid female athlete of all time, writes Forbes. Osaka beat Williams in the money game $37.4 million to $36 million. Nike committed roughly $10 million annually, winning the young campion away from Adidas. In total Naomi Osaka had 15 endorsement partners including Nissan Motor, Shiseido and Japanese sports equipment manufacturing company. Yonex, as of mid-August 2020.

I’m not sure that Serena Williams would agree with Naomi Osaka being crowned “the People’s Champion’ in the January 2021 issue of Vogue US. The entire interview by Rob Haskell is titled: ‘Leading By Example: How Naomi Osaka Became the People’s Champion’.

Wearing a Louis Vuitton dress on her cover and a Nina Ricci dress waterside, it’s Osaka’s Emmett Till COVID-protecting face mask that is her strongest fashion statement.

Naomi Osaka by Micaiah Carter in WSJ Magazine September 2020

Naomi Osaka by Micaiah Carter in WSJ Magazine September 2020 'Winner Take All'

Naomi Osaka, the 22-year-old tennis champ currently ranked No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles covers the September 2020 issue of WSJ Magazine.

Jessica Willis styled Osaka, who is lensed by Micaiah Carter (IG) in ‘Winner Take All’. On the subject of winning, Osaka has advanced to the Tuesday quarter-finals of the US Open, playing before no crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Forbes estimated in May 2020 that Naomi Osaka is now the highest-paid female athlete, earning an estimated $37.4 million in price money and endorsements in the last 12 months. That financial haul is estimated to be $1.4 million more than Serena Williams, setting an all-time earnings record for a female athlete in a single year.