Naomi Osaka arrived in Japan on Thursday from Los Angeles following her triumph at the U.S Open, and claimed that Serena Williams’ row with the umpire during the final had not made her sad largely because she had no idea how to react.
Osaka’s breakthrough triumph in New York was overshadowed by an explosive row between Williams and umpire Carlos Ramos which resulted in the 23-time Grand Slam champion being docked a game and fined 17,000 Dollars.
Meanwhile in Japan, Osaka’s victory raised questions about national identity with some Japanese wondering whether the half-Haitian American, half Japanese born in Japan but raised mainly in the U.S. could be considered one of them
Osaka’s profile has suddenly risen after Japanese automaker Nissan Motor announced it had signed the 20-year-old as its next brand ambassador.
Nissan joins a growing number of companies which have enlisted first Japanese grand slam winner for endorsement.
