Tennis News: Naomi Osaka, a four-time major winner, thinks starting her own sports agency is the “logical next step” in her career.
On Wednesday, Osaka, 24, announced that she is quitting IMG to form Evolve with her long-time agent Stuart Duguid.
Since withdrawing from the French Open a year ago and revealing she had been suffering from depression for years, Osaka has established herself as a major advocate for athlete mental health and wellbeing.
“I’ve spent my career doing things my way, even when people told me it wasn’t expected or customary,” Osaka said in an interview with Sportico.
“Evolve is the natural next step in my journey as both an athlete and businesswoman, as well as a way to continue being myself and doing things my way.”
According to Reuters, Duguid and Osaka first discussed the business at the Tokyo Olympics last year, and the firm will operate as a “small boutique and bespoke agency.”
“We were discussing the business models of some of her mentors like Kobe (Bryant) and Lebron (James). We thought why has no transcendent female athlete done that yet,” he said.
“It’s athlete-driven and focused on big picture brand building rather than quick checks with a commission attached.”
Duguid said he could not share much about the identities of the initial clients but added, “it would be only athletes who transcend their sports; or those with the potential to do so.”
“Hey child, you’ve come a long way and even if there have been some bumps in the road I hope you know you’re doing wonderful,” Naomi Osaka tweeted on Wednesday, alongside a compilation of clips from her earlier playing days in which she outlined her professional objectives.
She predicted what she would be doing if she wasn’t a tennis player in one of the clips.
“I just like sports, so maybe (I would be) as an agent in the end,” she said.
Osaka, who is ranked No. 38 in the world, withdrew from the Italian Open this week owing to an Achilles injury she sustained in the second round of the Madrid Open last week.
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