Naomi Osaka made history this year after Forbes Magazine named her the highest-paid female athlete in the world. The Japanese star earned $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements from 1st June 2019 to 1st June 2020. Osaka’s success can be attributed to the efforts of past female players who fought for the right to receive the same pay as their male counterparts. In a recent tribute video, Natalie Portman paid homage to the “Original 9,” a group of female players who worked together to establish the WTA and advocate for better remuneration for women in tennis.

Portman narrates a tribute video to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the “Original 9”

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “Original 9,” Natalie Portman, an Oscar winner, narrated the famous story of the nine women who revolutionized women’s tennis. The players were led by tennis legend, Billie Jean King and Gladys Heldman, and they broke off from the traditional tennis circuit to organize a new tournament in 1970. At the time, women received eight times less prize money than male players, and the “Original 9” signed one-dollar contracts to play in the new competition after they failed to negotiate improved payment terms with the United States Lawn Tennis Association. Three years later, more than 60 women joined the “Original 9” to form the WTA. Female players continued to advocate for equal pay, and they achieved their goal in 2007 after all the major Grand Slam tournaments agreed on to pay out the same prize money to its male and female winners.

Naomi Osaka has taken up an activist role to advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement

After her recent win at the US Open, Osaka earned $3 million in prize money. While concluding her video, Portman explained that the Japanese star owned her recent success to the Original 9 for their efforts to challenge the system and close the pay gap between male and female tennis players. Osaka’s financial success has been linked to her attractive bicultural background. The 22-year-old star has turned into a global star due to her appeal in both the Asian and American markets. However, even though she has received many commercial endorsements, Naomi has not shied away from using her platform to address social issues.

The three-time Grand Slam winner has expressed her support for the Black Lives Matter movement. After the killing of George Floyd in the United States, Osaka traveled to Minnesota to participate in protests calling for an end to police brutality. While the “Original 9” advocated for the rights of women in tennis, world No. 3 appears to have taken a similar approach in her attempts to fight for the rights of African American citizens living in America. The Japanese star could use her success to campaign for positive social change and follow in the footsteps of the previous generation of tennis legends.

Naomi Osaka in 2020

At the moment ranked no.3, Osaka played her last match on the 12th of September when she defeated Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open to win her 6th career title.

Presently, this year Naomi has an overall 16-3 win-loss record. Naomi has won 1 title at the U.S. Open. Naomi was the finalist in New York.