Feb. 17, 2021, 9:30 p.m. ET
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams draw inspiration from more than each other’s athletic endeavors, as both athletes have used their platforms to promote social justice causes.
In 2020, a year of heightened calls for racial and gender equity across the United States, Osaka threatened to pull out of a tournament and donned masks with the names of Black individuals who were victims of racial or police violence.
After Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., Osaka threatened to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open with a post to social media that “as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis.” The statement ultimately pressed the tournament to pause in unison with a North American multisport walkout in August.
Much like Osaka has credited Williams as her athletic inspiration, she has said that Williams’ calls for racial and gender equity have driven her to take a stance.
“Honestly, she’s like a living icon,” she said of Williams at the United States Open in 2020 where Osaka wore seven masks, one each match, with the names of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile and others. “Like, I would not be here without her.”
Williams has been outspoken about the differences in penalties for men and women in tennis following the heated exchange she had with an official the last time she faced Osaka at a Grand Slam in 2018. She has pressed for closing the gender pay gap, in particular for women of color, in sports and beyond through partnerships and venture capital.
Osaka is the highest paid female athlete in the world at $34.7 million in earnings over 12 months, outpacing Williams, who is second according to data published by Forbes last May. Roger Federer was the highest paid athlete overall with $106.3 million earned in the same time frame.
“The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I am in my grave,” Williams said in response to suggestions that she focus on her game rather than social causes after losing at Wimbledon in 2019.
Feb. 17, 2021, 9:00 p.m. ET
The last time Serena Williams wore a full-body catsuit to a Grand Slam tournament, back in 2018 at the French Open, it practically caused a revolt.
Then, of course, Williams did it again, opting for a short onesie at the Australian Open in 2019, a look that recalled her first appearance at the United States Open in 2002, when she wore a short black bodysuit (she was then sponsored by Puma). That look became something of a lightning rod and a seminal moment in the conversation around women’s bodies — especially Black women’s bodies — tennis, power and who gets to police all of the above.
And now, in the semifinals of the Australian Open, chasing a record 24th Grand Slam singles title and defying all odds at 39 years old, she is wearing one yet again. This time, it is even more eye-catching: an asymmetric, one-legged, graphic pink, red and black color-block catsuit.
Williams said the style of this particular court catsuit was a homage to Florence Griffith Joyner, the track star known as Flo-Jo who won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympics, and who famously won her 1984 Olympic silver medal in a one-legged catsuit. Even in the wilder fashion context of the Australian Open, where players have historically felt freer to express themselves in clothes on the court — even in the context of Williams’s own tennis dress history, which has included a pleated denim skirt with studded vest top and a tutu — it was an unmistakable statement of intent.
So what is this about? It’s not just about the garment itself. It’s about allowing female players agency over their on-court choices, and about breaking down old stereotypes about what is and is not appropriate for women to wear. And who gets to decide.
She has, and is, forever changing the game. In more ways than one.
Feb. 17, 2021, 8:30 p.m. ET
Though decidedly an undercard to the preceding Osaka-Williams clash, the semifinal between Karolina Muchova and Jennifer Brady could also prove compelling.
Muchova, an all-court player, has been able to outlast many opponents playing near their top form, including the top-seeded Ashleigh Barty in the quarterfinals. After struggling with the heat and taking a medical timeout midway through the match, Muchova dominated the later stages, staying steady and purposeful on her powerful forehand as Barty’s game went wayward.
For Brady, whose game is more built around power from the baseline, the run in Australia is a consolidation of her strong effort last summer, when she won a WTA tournament in Lexington, Ky., and reached the semifinals of the United States Open, where she lost to Osaka. Brady spent 14 days in a hard quarantine before the tournament began, and she was the only player in those circumstances to reach the fourth round of the women’s singles draw.
Feb. 17, 2021, 8:00 p.m. ET
When Osaka beat Williams in the 2018 United States Open final, the match descended into chaos as Williams incurred escalating penalties from the chair umpire Carlos Ramos for repeated code violations, whipping the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium into anger. Osaka was in tears after the match, and some observers criticized Williams for ruining Osaka’s moment.
But Osaka has never publicly blamed Williams for any aspect of that day’s mayhem. Williams and young up-and-comers have not always had warm relationships but she has always shown appreciation for Osaka.
The two have remained on good terms since the 2018 U.S. Open, and played an exhibition in Adelaide last month.
“I think she’s a great competitor and she’s a cool cat,” Williams said of Osaka on Tuesday.
Feb. 17, 2021, 8:00 p.m. ET
All three previous Osaka matches against Williams came after Williams’s return from maternity leave in 2018. And Osaka will have never seen Williams moving as well as she has this week.
Williams joked after her quarterfinal win over the second-seeded Simona Halep that she was motivated to get in shape by the form-fitting catsuit that she knew she would have to wear on the court in Melbourne. Her improved conditioning has been reflected in her foot speed, allowing her to play breathtaking defense and extend rallies in ways she could not attempt in recent years.
Osaka, who can match Williams for power, won’t be able to rely on a foot speed advantage as she had in their previous meetings.
Feb. 17, 2021, 7:59 p.m. ET
Osaka, 23, who grew up idolizing Williams, has been flawless at closing out Grand Slam victories early in her career.
Osaka has made three previous Grand Slam quarterfinal runs; each time, she won the tournament. By reaching the semifinals this week, Osaka improved her record in the past three rounds of Grand Slam events to 10-0.
Osaka enters the semifinal against Williams, whom she has beaten in two of three meetings, having won 19 consecutive matches, the longest streak of her career. Her last loss came more than a year ago, in a Fed Cup match last February.
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