Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka doubles down on support for Black Lives Matter after being told to ‘stay in her lane’

Former world No. 1 describes George Floyd’s death as ‘a torturous murder on camera’ after her support for protests exposed her to criticism

Japanese broadcaster NHK this week apologised for an animation that sought to explain the US protests but did not mention Floyd or police brutality

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka. Photo: AP

Published: 4:44pm, 10 Jun 2020Updated: 11:47am, 12 Jun 2020

Naomi Osaka, the world’s highest-paid sportswoman, is adamant the voices of prominent athletes can be more influential than those of politicians and is determined that hers will be heard on the subject of racial injustice.

The two-time Grand Slam champion faced a backlash on social media after throwing her support behind the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody on May 25.

The 22-year-old Osaka, who has Japanese and Haitian parents but grew up and lives mostly in the US, says she has no intention of backing down and hopes to help drive real and permanent social change.

“I’m vocal because I believe in the movement and want to try to use my platform to facilitate change,” Osaka wrote via email. “George Floyd’s murder and the situation generally in America has had a big impact on me. Being silent is never the answer. Everyone should have a voice in the matter and use it.”

The death of Floyd while he was in the custody of the Minneapolis police has sparked worldwide protests against racism and calls for reforms of US law enforcement.