Naomi Osaka did something beautiful last week. Ahead of the French Open, she co‑hosted a dinner at the Soho House in Paris for Black tennis players, Coco Gauff, Gaël Monfils, Taylor Townsend, Asia Muhammad and others. It was a night of fellowship, joy and visibility in a sport that has not always made space for players who look like her. Then she wrote about it. And the internet lost its mind.
Here is what Naomi posted, in her own words:
“Growing up, there weren’t a lot of tennis players I could look up to that looked like me. Being a minority in a sport like tennis is very isolating but the positive is that you keep tabs on everyone that … being blunt, is black. There’s a fellowship, a camaraderie that doesn’t need words to describe. You just feel at peace knowing that there’s another person who has experienced similar things to you and you feel less alone.
There’s a saying, ‘when you win I feel like I win too’ and while that’s true I also feel like seeing any of us exist in this space that is so clearly not for us is a win in itself. Our presence is a present and I’m so grateful for the gift of my peers. I want to thank them for existing and thank them for inspiring. I am so proud and I appreciate everyone who came to the dinner (also the ones who couldn’t make it as well).”
None of that should be controversial. What we have here is a woman describing what it feels like to be a minority in a sport that has historically excluded people who look like her. She is also celebrating how far Black tennis players have come. Above all, she created a moment of warmth and connection, and that is something to be praised, not attacked. And yet, the backlash was instant and ugly.
The questions Naomi had to answer – and why they reveal everything
Naomi later posted a follow‑up on Threads, addressing the criticism directly. She wrote:
“You know I’m seeing a little bit of – ‘Why can’t you love everyone for all skin tones?’ and ‘what if someone had an all white party?’ First of all I do love everyone for who they are no matter their race + ethnicity – I’m literally half Japanese lol. I can only speak from my experiences in my own life though. Growing up as a tennis player I didn’t see many people that looked like ME and I feel like it’s important to celebrate them.
Secondly I feel like it’s important to note that there have been all white dinners/parties. I don’t know how else to tell you this, I literally seen them all the time and never had an issue with it at all. To the people who ask this question I want to ask you this question too: ‘What is it about POC getting together that unsettles you so much?’
I grew up watching my dad get discriminated against, having the cops called on him multiple times at the tennis court. There are multiple things I will apologize for in my life but celebrating being black and appreciating who we are will never be something I would consider saying sorry for.
Actually I lied, I am sorry. I’m sorry for the people who cannot comprehend in their brains that this is not about exclusion, this is a celebration about how far we have come.”
That last line? Chef’s kiss. She gave them nothing but grace and a perfectly placed knife.
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Final thoughts
What Naomi did was beautiful. It was never about exclusion. If she wants to show other Black players some love, I see no problem. White folks, Asian folks, and all other races do this all the time; they just do not advertise it. Men do this all the time, too. So what is the problem?
A lot of white people have parties with no Black people in attendance, and nobody calls those controversial. Nobody demands apologies for “all‑white dinners” because those are just called “parties” in tennis history. But when a Black woman creates a space to celebrate how far Black tennis players have come, suddenly it is a problem? Suddenly, she has to answer for “reverse racism”? Excuse me.
Tennis has been so hostile towards Black players for so long, from the Williams sisters being taunted and booed, to Black players being told they do not “look like tennis players,” to Naomi’s own father having the cops called on him at tennis courts. I am so glad they can get together and celebrate each other.
And for the record, Black events exist in tech, in medicine, in law, in every industry where Black people have been historically underrepresented. They exist because isolation is real. They exist because showing up to a room where nobody looks like you, day after day, wears you down. Creating a space to breathe, to see yourself reflected, to feel less alone – that is not racism. That is community.
Naomi should never apologise. And she made that crystal clear. She is sorry for people who cannot comprehend that this is not about exclusion. That is the perfect response: not angry, not defensive, just honest and sharp. What is it about people of colour getting together that unsettles people so much? That question was rhetorical, Naomi, but we all know the answer. And it is not a good look for the people asking.
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