CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tennis star Naomi Osaka is taking her talents to the soccer pitch — as an owner for the NWSL's North Carolina Courage. Osaka, 23, becomes the first investor in the two-time NWSL Championship-winning club since owner Steve Malik acquired and relocated the team to North Carolina in 2017.
"The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today and I cannot think of where my life would be without them," Osaka said in a statement.
Osaka reiterated what Malik said leading up to the announcement about the partnership going further than finances:
"My investment in the North Carolina Courage is far beyond just being a team owner, it's an investment in amazing women who are role models and leaders in their fields and inspirations to all young female athletes," Osaka said. "I also admire everything the Courage does for diversity and equality in the community, which I greatly look forward to supporting and driving forward."
The three-time Grand Slam Champion and Forbes' Highest Paid Female Athlete in 2020 is among a growing list of star-studded names buying into the league. Tennis icons Serena Williams and Billie Jean King joined NWSL expansion group Angel City FC, which is set to play next year, and includes actress Natalie Portman among its ownership, as well as former U.S. national team players Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, and the WNBA's Candace Parker.
Osaka told The Athletic that a tweet from Williams' husband and co-investor, Alexis Ohanian, calling the NWSL the most undervalued league in professional sports inspired her inquiry into ownership, and that Osaka was quickly sold on the Courage. She was photographed on the tennis courts at Telstra Plaza in Australia wearing a custom Courage jersey ahead of this year's Australian Open, which she is scheduled to compete in.
"Naomi embodies the values we have been striving to cultivate at our club," Malik said in a statement. "And she brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports. I cannot think of anyone better to help us as we continue to make a difference in our community and inspire the next generation of women."
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Osaka was named the 2020 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for her social activism and vocal support of the Black Lives Matter movement as much as her athletic performance. She is the daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother, and was the first Asian player to hold the No. 1 ranking in singles and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam.
"Naomi is the perfect fit as an owner because her values sync so well with our club," said NC Courage president Curt Johnson said in a statement. "A team with an exemplary and trailblazing roster of world-class professional athletes supported by a globally influential icon is a seminal moment for our sport and the Courage organization."
The Courage won the NWSL Championship in 2018 and 2019, and won the Women's International Champions Cup in 2018. The club fields a roster that includes current and former U.S. Women's National Team players such as Abby Dahlkemper, Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald. Players are scheduled to report to camp on Feb. 1 and the league's Challenge Cup is set to begin April 9.
