Naomi Osaka has laughed off comments from a Japanese comedy duo that she “needs bleach” – and plugged one of her sponsors in the process.
The comedy duo also allegedly joked that the tennis star, born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother but raised in the USA, is “too sunburned.”
And Osaka posted on Twitter a retort, lampooning the comments and advertising sponsor cosmetic manufactures Shiseido.
“’Too sunburned’ lol that’s wild,” Osaka said on Twitter late on Sunday.
“Little did they know, with Shiseido Anessa perfect UV sunscreen I never get sunburned.”
The comedians, known as ‘A Masso’, made the comments on September 22, the same day Osaka won the Pan Pacific Open.
The duo and their management company apologised for the “inappropriate, hurtful remarks”, but did not refer to the former world number one by name.
Japan has previously seen itself as a racially homogenised country, but a number of prominent mixed-race athletes are beginning to challenge and change that view.
Osaka, winner of the Australian Open at the start of the year, has been widely hailed for her success, but this is not the first time there has been controversy over her image.
In January, noodle company Nissin were accused of “whitewashing” Osaka after being forced to remove an advert depicting a cartoon of the 21-year-old with pale skin and light brown hair.
Nissin promised to pay more attention to issues of diversity and racism in the future.
