Tennis legend Naomi Osaka has added another notch on her incredible list of accomplishments. The 24-year-old has just added author to her resume as she will soon be releasing her first children’s book.
The athlete sat down exclusively with People Magazine to talk in-depth about her upcoming project and what The Way Champs Play will celebrate.
“I wanted to reach young girls in a way that they would enjoy and understand and it was really fun to simplify and celebrate girls in sport,” the 24-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion said to People of writing The Way Champs Play. “I knew when I started my company Hana Kuma that we wanted to help tell stories that empowered women and girls, so it was the perfect fit to have this book be the first one we published.”
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According to People, The Way Champs Play, which is illustrated by Kamala Nair, is inspired by Osaka’s Play Academy. The book will show girls playing all kinds of sports, from swimming to tennis to basketball. The story line of the upcoming project demonstrates that girls can take part in sports and find confidence through athleticism. Osaka has admitted that this is something that she’s also working on as well.
“I am still sorting through finding confidence in myself and what I do — that is why this book means so much,” she said in her exclusive with the popular entertainment magazine. “It’s really a process and something I work on daily.”
The two-time U.S. Open champion continued saying, “I always felt there weren’t enough female-focused stories out there. It’s nice to see that shifting in all sports.”
The Way Champs Play comes out December 6. You can preorder the book here. According to the HarperCollins website, if you submit a copy of your receipt, you will receive a signed bookplate from Naomi Osaka…we think that that is unquestionably a win-win.
Photo Credit: (Feature Image) Naomi Osaka/Harper Collins; Naomi Osaka Instagram
