Naomi Osaka returns to Paris warier and watchful with her words

A year after her controversial withdrawal from the French Open the world’s highest earning sportswoman is back at Roland Garros – and holding a press conference

WARY: Naomi Osaka of Japan talks to the press at  Roland Garros in Paris.

IN the summer of 2021, Naomi Osaka logged on to Instagram for an impromptu live broadcast with the simple aim of briefly revealing her new dog, Butta, to her fans. Within seconds, though, the view counter spiked. Tens of thousands of her followers logged on and comments furiously rained down.

As she showed off her dog, Osaka continually noted her surprise at how many people were watching such a mundane task. She logged off shortly after. A fleeting, insignificant moment, but it served to underline what it means to be Naomi Osaka today. The highest-earning women’s athlete in the world. A magnet for masses of attention through the smallest of acts. A person still navigating all of that in real time, making decisions in full view of public scrutiny.