Osaka really burns me. Japanese born and raised in The States. She attacks the US for supposed systemic racism, while she has reaped incredible benefits from growing up here. And she ignores the Japanese society, which I have great respect for (it works for the Japanese) but which is undoubtedly one of the most racist int the world. FUNO! And to hear sports commentators saying Osaka's absence is going to hurt women's tennis. On the sports ladder, women's tennis is right there with corhole competitions. No one gives a damn except tournament organizers.
Seriously? Women in tennis have always been higher up than women in other sports, and tennis is the one sport where the women are at least as likely to be famous as the men.
She attacks the US for supposed systemic racism, while she has reaped incredible benefits from growing up here. And she ignores the Japanese society, which I have great respect for (it works for the Japanese) but which is undoubtedly one of the most racist in the world.
For that very reason it was hard to take her activism seriously. I sort of figured that for her it wasn't really about the United States at all but was actually about not really fitting in anywhere.
And to think that they chose Osaka to light the Olympic Flame, instead of someone like Shun Fujimoto.
That says it all about the decline of The Olympics.