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A Barbie modeled after tennis star Naomi Osaka sold out hours after it went on sale Monday.
“I really hope every child is reminded that they can be and do anything,” Osaka wrote in an Instagram post. “This is really seeing a dream of mine come to life, having your own Barbie and potentially seeing little kids playing with it.”
The doll is part of Barbie’s Role Model collection and its Dream Gap Project, “a global initiative designed to introduce girls to women’s stories from all walks of life,” according to a press release. More dolls will be available in the coming weeks, a Mattel
MAT,
spokesperson said.
Sporting a replica of the outfit Osaka, 23, wore at the 2020 Australian Open and a miniature Yonex tennis racket, the $29.99 doll is ready to hit an imaginary court.
Carlyle Nuera designed the doll for Barbie, and said Osaka’s athletic skill is unmatched. “But what I personally admire the most about Naomi Osaka is how she uses her platform, the spotlight on her and her voice, to raise awareness about social justice,” he said in the press release.
Osaka has been an outspoken advocate for racial justice. She momentarily dropped out of a tournament last summer in protest of police killings. “Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach,” she wrote at the time.
During the 2020 US Open, Osaka wore seven face masks, each with the name of a Black person who was a victim of racial injustice, including Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
Naomi Osaka with her Barbie. (Mattel)
The daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother, Osaka has spoken about her own experiences with racism. The tennis star was born in Japan and has dual citizenship in Japan and the U.S.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has also been outspoken about her mental health recently after withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon. After skipping a press conference due to anxiety, the 23-year-old basically became a spokesperson for athlete mental health.
Read more: ‘I wish I could give her a hug’ — Tennis and NBA stars react to Naomi Osaka’s French Open withdrawal
She further detailed her struggles in an op-ed for Time, writing that she is naturally introverted and does not enjoy the spotlight. “I always try to push myself to speak up for what I believe to be right, but that often comes at a cost of great anxiety,” Osaka wrote.
While she feels “uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health,” she does hope that people “understand it’s O.K. to not be O.K., and it’s O.K. to talk about it.”
Read more: Naomi Osaka says ‘It’s O.K. not to be O.K.’ and calls for mental health days for tennis pros
A Netflix documentary series about the tennis superstar is also available this Friday. It follows Osaka’s journey from the 2019 US Open and addresses the pressure she feels to “maintain the squeaky image.”
Osaka is the highest-paid female athlete in the world, earning $55 million in the past year. Her partners include Google
GOOGL,
BodyArmor, Coca-Cola’s
KO,
and Levi Strauss & Co
LEVI,
Osaka, recently named best female athlete at the ESPYS, will compete later this month in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
