The first trailer for Netflix’s upcoming docu-series on tennis star Naomi Osaka has landed, giving a peek into the life of one of the world’s biggest sports stars, and her journey to the international spotlight.
Our first look at the three-part series – simply titled Naomi Osaka – has the 23-year-old talking about her identity in and out of the tennis world, becoming an overnight sport sensation and the pressures that come with that, and how her family history fuels her determination to do better, be faster, and play harder.
“No one really knows all the sacrifices that you make, just to be good,” Naomi says at the start of the trailer.
“Before I won the U.S. Open, so many people told my dad that I would never be anything.”
In the trailer, we’re given a glimpse at how the world number 2’s life as Naomi Osaka the athlete and Naomi the twenty-something woman entwine, sometimes working together and at other times conflicting with each other.
Naomi’s struggles with being in the sporting world’s spotlight and managing her own mental health is something this new Netflix series looks to touch on as well.
“I think the amount of attention that I get is kind of ridiculous,” she says in the trailer.
“Nobody prepares you for that.”
Naomi’s firsthand experiences with the celebrity side of professional sport in this series is especially poignant after Naomi withdrew from the French Open this year following issues with facing the media, and then opted to skip the Wimbledon tournament in favour of more personal time.
She has since confirmed she’ll be competing for Japan at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo however, which is set to kick off from July 23.
The trailer also shows Naomi grappling with her identity, worrying that she’s put all of her own worth on being a good tennis player with a “squeaky reputation”, but questions who she is without those things.
“For so long, I’ve tied winning to my worth as a person,” Naomi says.
“Anyone that would know me, they know me for being a tennis player. So what am I if I’m not a good tennis player?”
The limited series Naomi Osaka is set to hit Netflix on July 16, and you can set yourself a reminder over on the streaming service right now.
