Awards put Osaka back in public eye
Naomi Osaka returned to the spotlight for the first time since withdrawing from the French Open in May and skipping Wimbledon, posing on the red carpet at The ESPYS on Saturday night.
The world’s highest-paid female athlete faced a slew of photographers in New York, with one being heard urging her, “Nice smile” as cameras clicked furiously. Osaka offered a faint closed-mouth smile in response.
Osaka won trophies as the best athlete in women’s sports and best women’s tennis player at the annual show honoring the year’s top athletes and sports moments. It was moved to New York from Los Angeles this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tom Brady won best men’s athlete and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers were named best team.
Charlotte Hornets rookie Lamelo Ball won as best breakthrough athlete. The best game award was Gonzaga’s 93-90 win over UCLA in the semifinals of the men’s NCAA Tournament. Devonta Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama, won as best men’s college athlete.
Uconn freshman basketball sensation Paige Bueckers won as women’s college athlete.
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way sensation, won as best MLB player. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series victory was named best championship moment.
Former WNBA MVP Maya Moore received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Chris Nikic was honored with the Jimmy V
Award for Perseverance. Last year, he became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon.