On Sunday, tennis star Naomi Osaka responded to apparent criticism of some of her bikini-clad social media posts, asking detractors why they “feel” they have the right to comment on her clothing at all, and pushing back on the apparent claim that she’s wrongly rejecting her “innocent image.”
“I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting [at] me to maintain my ‘innocent image’ and ‘don’t try to be someone your [sic] not,'” Osaka wrote via Twitter.
“You don’t know me, I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool,” she added. “Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear?”
I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting @ me to maintain my “innocent image” and “don’t try to be someone your not”. You don’t know me, I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool. Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear?
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 26, 2020
Osaka has several bikini and swimsuit posts of herself on her Instagram page, and was seemingly responding to comments from the social media platform.
According to the New York Post, one of the comments from an Instagram critic said Osaka needs to “have some class.”
“I don’t get why you would post half naked pics of yourself. Have some class… you don’t need to do this,” the comment says, replying to a photo of the 22-year-old in blue bikini bottoms, sneakers, and a yellow sweatshirt.
Many of the comments on Osaka’s posts, however, extend support for the tennis standout, including fire emojis and messages complimentary of her beauty.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC07-lBp2Jb/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWF4KQJBGG/
Osaka became a household name back in 2018 when she faced off against tennis great Serena Williams during the U.S. Open’s women’s final —and won.
However, Osaka’s impressive win was overshadowed by Williams’ incensed outburst at umpire Carlos Ramos, whom she smeared as a sexist.
The Daily Wire reported on the outburst:
During her final U.S. Open match against 20-year-old Naomi Osaka, Williams erupted when Ramos docked the athlete for illegally receiving coaching from the sidelines (which was later admitted to by Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou), smashing her racket, and committing “verbal abuse.” The tennis icon branded Ramos a “thief” and a sexist and demanded an apology. “There’s men out here who do a lot worse. But because I’m a woman, because I’m a woman, you’re gonna take this away from me? That is not right,” Williams lashed out. She also told Ramos directly, “You will never do another one of my matches.”
Post-match, Williams positioned herself a critical piece in the push for “women’s equality.”
“He’s (Ramos) never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief.’ For me it blows my mind. But I’m going to continue to fight for women,” Williams told reporters, adding, “I just feel like the fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next person that has emotions, and that want to express themselves, and want to be a strong woman. They’re going to be allowed to do that because of today.”
Following the match, Osaka said during an on-court interview, “I know that everyone was cheering for [Williams], and I’m sorry it had to end like this. I just want to say thank you for watching the match.”
