Naomi Osaka has impressed many tennis fans on and off the court in 2020. The 23-year-old won her third Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, and she has continued to use her platforms to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Osaka’s down to earth personality has made her popular with young tennis fans around the world. In a recent interview with Teen Vogue magazine, the Japanese star revealed her first celebrity crush.
Osaka reveals that Rihanna was her first celebrity crush
During the lighthearted interview, the current world No.3 claimed that Rihanna was the first celebrity that she ever had a crush on. The US Open champion claimed that she was in awe of the successful American music star when she was growing up, and she would always admire her Instagram posts. When pressed about her first male celebrity crush, Osaka jokingly admitted that her boyfriend, YBN Cordae, was the first male superstar that she was attracted to.
YBN Cordae and Osaka have been dating since last year
Osaka and Cordae have been in a relationship for the past 18 months. Cordae is a successful American rapper, and he first met Osaka at a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game. The couple made their relationship public after last year’s US Open, and they have been dating ever since. To celebrate her 23rd birthday, the Japanese went on a vacation with Cordae to a private beach. The Japanese tennis star shared pictures of the romantic dinner she had with her boyfriend on her Instagram account. Osaka and Cordae have also used their social media platforms to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
The couple attended a protest in Minneapolis in May after the killing of George Floyd. Later in the year, Cordae was arrested while protesting the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old medical professional from Louisville, Kentucky who was shot by police officers during a raid on her home. On her part, Osaka pulled out of her semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake in Milwaukee. Tournament organizers had to postpone the competition for one day after the three-time Grand Slam winner refused to take the court, but she eventually decided to play her match. The 23-year-old continued her call for racial equality at the US Open, wearing seven different facemasks at the tournament, with each mask displaying the name of a police brutality victim. Fans have praised Cordae and Osaka for taking up an activist role and calling for racial justice and equity in the United States. The two stars could become a powerhouse celebrity couple in the next few years.
Naomi Osaka in 2020
Currently ranked no.3, Naomi played her last match on the 12th of September when she beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open to win her 6th career title.
This season the Japanese has a compiled 16-3 record. The Japanese clinched 1 title at the U.S. Open. Osaka was the runner-up in New York.
