Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka showed up to the ESPY Awards in New York looking fresh after a prolonged media break.
Her red carpet appearance was the first since she shocked sports fans and athletes across the board for withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon at the beginning of last month. Osaka cited mental health as the reason for her withdrawal, explaining that her struggles with anxiety and depression have made her realize seek self-care.
The 23-year old athlete arrived in a bold Louis Vuitton piece, rocking a black and white striped blouse and a green skirt. Rapper boyfriend Cordae accompanied her to the show.
Osaka bagged the award for Best Athlete, Women’s Sports and went up on stage to thank fans and ESPN.
“I just really want to not say a long speech because I’m a bit nervous,” she said amongst cheers from the audience. “I know this year has been really — it hasn’t even finished — but it’s been really tough for a lot of us.”
“For me, I just want to say, I really love you guys and this is my first ESPYS so it’s really cool to be surrounded by all these incredible athletes. I think all of you guys are really cool and I watch some of you on TV so it’s really surreal to be here … Thank you so much and I really appreciate it.”
Other athletes who won awards that night include:
- Best Athlete, Men’s Sports: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Best Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL
- Best Breakthrough Athlete: LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
- Best NBA Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Best WNBA Player: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
- Best International Athlete, Men’s Soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus/Portugal National Team
- Best International Athlete, Women’s Soccer: Sam Mewis, Manchester City/USA National Team
Osaka’s next appearance will be in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, where she will represent her native country of Japan.
