We’ll Never Get Over These 6 Photos of Tennis Pro and Soon-to-Be Mom Naomi Osaka in Malibu

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion was photographed for the 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue cover.
Naomi Osaka was photographed by Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif.

Naomi Osaka was photographed by Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif.


Naomi Osaka is expecting her first baby girl with boyfriend Cordae this summer and in honor of the mom-to-be, we’re throwing it back to her iconic and stunning 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue cover photo shoot with photographer Yu Tsai in Malibu.

The 25-year-old four-time Grand Slam singles champion is accustomed to breaking barriers—she is the first Asian player to hold the No. 1 ranking in singles and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam tournament. In ’21, she became the first Black athlete to land the cover of SI Swimsuit.

The KINLÒ founder is also an activist and uses her platform to raise awareness for racial injustices, human rights and mental health issues. 

“There’s no question that Naomi is one of the best athletes in the world, and a cover spot felt obvious. She’s spent her formative years racking up titles and is headed to the Olympics. But we celebrate Naomi for her passion, strength and power geared towards consistently breaking barriers when it comes to equality, social justice, and mental health,” SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day stated at the time.

Below are six of our favorite photos from her SI Swimsuit cover photo shoot.

MTgyNDU5ODg1NDE2NDkwMTE1
MTgyNDM1MTcwMDI3NDQ3NjI0
MTgyNDU5ODg1MTQ3OTIzNzg0
MTgyNDU5ODg0ODc5NjE5NDAw
MTgyNDM1MTcwMDI3Nzc1MTA3
MTgyNDM1MTY5NzU4NzUwMDI0

Make sure to follow SI Lifestyle in Google News!


Published
Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast.