BEVERLY HILLS, January 29, (THEWILL) – Japanese tennis superstar, Naomi Osaka , has invested in the North Carolina Courage, a professional women soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, the club announced on Friday. She is the first investor in the Courage club since 2017 when Steve Malik acquired and relocated the team to North Carolina.
The 23-year-old, who was Forbes’ Highest Paid Female Athlete in 2020, showed her commitment to inspiring the next generation of female athletes by investing her time and money into one of the best women’s professional soccer teams in America.
“The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today and I cannot think of where my life would be without them,” Osaka said.
“My investment in the North Carolina Courage is far beyond just being a team owner, it’s an investment in amazing women who are role models and leaders in their fields and inspirations to all young female athletes. I also admire everything the Courage does for diversity and equality in the community, which I greatly look forward to supporting and driving forward.”
The tennis star, who has a Haitian father and Japanese mother, was the first Asian player to hold the number one ranking in singles and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam. Last year, she was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for both a strong showing on the court and her activism off the courts.
Like the members of the NC Courage, Osaka used her platform in 2020 as a stage for social activism in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and their protests against police brutality.
The Chairman of the North Carolina Courage, Steve Malik, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Naomi as an owner of the North Carolina Courage.
“Naomi embodies the values we have been striving to cultivate at our club, and she brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports. I cannot think of anyone better to help us as we continue to make a difference in our community and inspire the next generation of women.”
What makes the combination more interesting is the number of parallels that can be drawn between Osaka and the team, especially in terms of competitive achievements.
Neither are strangers to success. Osaka has won three Grand Slam titles (2018 US Open, 2019 Australian Open, 2020 US Open) and the Courage have won six trophies in four years (two NWSL Championships, three NWSL Shields, and the Women’s International Champions Cup).
NC Courage are part of the largest youth to professional soccer club in the U.S. with over 13,000 players, which aligns organically with The Naomi Osaka Play Academy, an initiative that aims to change girls’ lives through play and sport. Osaka’s program is part of Nike’s Made to Play commitment to get more kids moving around the world especially in sports.
The Play Academy provides a fun, positive experience for young girls with a focus on gender-inclusive coaching and programming to help break down barriers for girls in sports across the globe.
“Naomi is the perfect fit as an owner because her values sync so well with our club,” said North Carolina Courage President and General Manager, Curt Johnson.
“A team with an exemplary and trailblazing roster of world-class professional athletes supported by a globally influential icon is a seminal moment for our sport and the Courage organization.”
The Courage are also looking forward to harnessing Naomi’s passion and talent for fashion, with plans to incorporate the tennis star into its design decisions in 2021.
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