NAOMI OSAKA’S STOCK IS SOARING, BUT CAN SHE DOMINATE WOMEN’S TENNIS?

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2021: Naomi Osaka has added to her portfolio with several new sponsorship deals this year and heads into the Australian Open as one of the favourites to win the tournament.

But can the three-time Grand Slam champion dominate women’s tennis?

There might not have been much tennis played in January, but that didn’t stop Naomi Osaka from having a very productive start to the year.

A seven-figure deal for a Louis Vitton endorsement.

The new brand ambassador for TAG Heuer. A sponsorship with human resources firm Workday that will see her wear the firm’s logo on her outfit. And a part ownership in women’s football team North Carolina Courage.

Osaka’s portfolio is increasing and her stock is rising, fast.

All this after a year when she became the highest annual earner in women’s professional sporting history and also earned praise for speaking about against racial injustice.

She is becoming the face of women’s tennis, even if she isn’t quite ready to admit it. She said this week ahead of the Gippsland Trophy.

“As long as Serena’s here, I think she’s the face of women’s tennis.”

That may be true for now, but Osaka is primed to take over.

On the court she is showing signs that her game is evolving and improving. She cut a glum figure after a surprise defeat to Coco Gauff in the third round of the Australian Open last year, calling the loss “a wake-up call.”

“There were a lot of things I was struggling with, and I feel like during quarantine I really had to dig deep in myself and try to figure it out for myself.

I feel like there’s a lot of people that had to go through that, and I’m just a person that you happen to ask questions to a lot.

With extra experience and an improving game, Osaka should be difficult to stop in Melbourne.