Osaka to play semi after all as she calls attention to racial injustice
● Originally pulled out in protest at ‘genocide of black people by police’
Naomi Osaka will play in the Western& Southern Open semi-finals, after all.
A day after saying she would withdraw from the hard-court event to protest the “continued genocide of black people at the hand of the police” – prompting the tournament to call off all of yesterday’s matches – the two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No 1 changed course.
Her agent confirmed that Osaka will face Elise Mertens when play resumes at the tournament today with the semifinals. The finals were shifted from Friday to Saturday.
“As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence. I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent,” Osaka said in a statement to the Guardian. “However, after my announcement and lengthy consulta - tion with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support.”
Osaka, whose father is from Haiti and mother is from Japan, joined athletes in bas
k et ball, baseball and football in demanding change in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by police in Wisconsin.
Osaka tweeted on Wednesday that, as a Black woman, “I feel as though there are much more important matter sat hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis. I don’ t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.”
All NBA and WNBA games, three Major League Baseball
games and five Major League Soccer games were called off on Wednesday as athletes decried racial injustice.
Lewis Hamilton said he will not boycott this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – declaring that his refusal to drive would have little bearing in the fight against racism.
Hamilton, who holds a 37-point lead over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in his quest fora record-equalling seven th world championship, performed the Black Power salute after winning his first race of the season in Austria last month. He then vowed to spend the rest of his life battling racism.
Asked if he would emulate the actions of those in America and pull out of the seventh
round of the championship in, Hamilton said: “It is a shame that is what is needed over there in order to get a reac - tion, but that is in America. I don’t know if really me doing something here will particularly have an effect. We are in Belgium, not the United States.
“I have not spoken to anybody about it but I am really proud of so many of them over there in the States and what they are doing within their sports.
“I stand unified with them. So many people are standing with the players and pushing for change.
“I don’t really know how us not doing the race [will help], but I will speak to Formula One to see what I can do to continue to raise awareness, and continue to help push for change.”