<p>Naomi Osaka said on Friday she never thought her call for racial justice would garner the attention it did and she does not want to be called brave for taking a stand that led to a one-day stoppage at this week's US Open tune-up event in New York.</p>.<p>The 22-year-old Japanese had initially said she would not play her Thursday semi-final in a bid to spark a conversation about racism following the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin last week.</p>.<p>Officials then suspended that day's matches and on Friday Osaka walked on the court for her semi-final wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a clenched fist and the words "Black Lives Matter" on the front.</p>.<p>Osaka said she thought the reaction to her stance was something more reserved for some of the game's bigger names like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.</p>.<p>"It's definitely a bit eye-opening but in an odd way, because I only previously thought, like, the Big Three and Serena would have that type of power," Osaka said after booking a spot in Saturday's Western & Southern Open final.</p>.<p>"But also, at the same time, I recognise the fact that maybe the WTA and ATP wanted to do something like this but they needed a push from a player to do something like this? So maybe I was sort of their, you know, that one player."</p>.<p>Osaka said she made a promise to herself during the sport's nearly five-month Covid-19 hiatus to not be shy in the future when it came to speaking her mind.</p>.<p>"During quarantine, the biggest thing I thought was, like, when I get out of this, I want to grow as a person and I don't want to have that many regrets going forward," said Osaka.</p>.<p>"I'm not sure if it's a light bulb or if there was any particular moment that sparked me to speak up, but I do feel like it's been building for a while."</p>.<p>After posting her announcement on Wednesday, Osaka said it was a bit frightening and that she had to turn off her phone because she gets anxious whenever people talk about her.</p>.<p>"I don't feel like I'm being brave. I just feel like I'm doing what I should be doing," she added.</p>.<p>"Honestly, when people say courageous or anything, I don't really resonate that well with it. I just feel like -- not common sense, but this is what I am supposed to be doing in this moment."</p>
<p>Naomi Osaka said on Friday she never thought her call for racial justice would garner the attention it did and she does not want to be called brave for taking a stand that led to a one-day stoppage at this week's US Open tune-up event in New York.</p>.<p>The 22-year-old Japanese had initially said she would not play her Thursday semi-final in a bid to spark a conversation about racism following the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin last week.</p>.<p>Officials then suspended that day's matches and on Friday Osaka walked on the court for her semi-final wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a clenched fist and the words "Black Lives Matter" on the front.</p>.<p>Osaka said she thought the reaction to her stance was something more reserved for some of the game's bigger names like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.</p>.<p>"It's definitely a bit eye-opening but in an odd way, because I only previously thought, like, the Big Three and Serena would have that type of power," Osaka said after booking a spot in Saturday's Western & Southern Open final.</p>.<p>"But also, at the same time, I recognise the fact that maybe the WTA and ATP wanted to do something like this but they needed a push from a player to do something like this? So maybe I was sort of their, you know, that one player."</p>.<p>Osaka said she made a promise to herself during the sport's nearly five-month Covid-19 hiatus to not be shy in the future when it came to speaking her mind.</p>.<p>"During quarantine, the biggest thing I thought was, like, when I get out of this, I want to grow as a person and I don't want to have that many regrets going forward," said Osaka.</p>.<p>"I'm not sure if it's a light bulb or if there was any particular moment that sparked me to speak up, but I do feel like it's been building for a while."</p>.<p>After posting her announcement on Wednesday, Osaka said it was a bit frightening and that she had to turn off her phone because she gets anxious whenever people talk about her.</p>.<p>"I don't feel like I'm being brave. I just feel like I'm doing what I should be doing," she added.</p>.<p>"Honestly, when people say courageous or anything, I don't really resonate that well with it. I just feel like -- not common sense, but this is what I am supposed to be doing in this moment."</p>