Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty; Mattel
Naomi Osakais a lot of things to a lot of people these days: tennis star, champion of racial justice, mental health advocate, and as of today, a Barbie doll. Mattel just announced the release of itsNaomi Osaka Barbie Role Model, which is available now at Amazon.
Technically, this isn’t the first time the 23-year-old Osaka has seen herself in Barbie form. She was honored as aone-of-a-kind Barbie Sherofor the brand’s 60th anniversary in 2019. Fans of both the tennis star and Barbie must have expressed their disappointment that they couldn’t get their own 11-inch Osaka back then, so Mattel got to work on this new version.
The new Role Model Naomi wears a replica of the outfit that Osaka sported at the 2020 Australian Open, a blue-and-pink Nike tank top and shorts paired with a white flared skirt. Though she lost that tournament in the third round, her fashion statement was a winner. The fully poseable doll also comes with her own Yonex tennis racket, light-blue Nike sneakers, and a white visor that rests atop her highlighted curls.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Barbie Role Model series, and to remind young girls that they can make a difference in the world,” Osaka said in a press release. “I want young girls everywhere to feel empowered to dream big and to know that if they believe in themselves that anything is possible!”
Mattel
Buy It!Naomi Osaka Barbie Role Model, $29.99;amazon.com
This Barbie comes out at a unique time for Osaka. Since pulling out of theFrench OpenandWimbledon, she has become an inspiration for people who have decided to prioritize their mental health above their careers. She recently penned anessay forTimeabout this newfound status.
“I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it’s still so new to me and I don’t have all the answers,” she wrote. “I do hope that people can relate and understand it’s O.K. to not be O.K., and it’s O.K. to talk about it. There are people who can help, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.”
“I feel like the platform that I have right now is something that I used to take for granted, and for me I feel like I should be using it for something,” Osaka said in a Netflix press release. “I believe, instead of following, you have to make your own path.”
How much of this context you decide to teach your kids when youbuy them a Naomi Osaka Barbieis up to you. But this is clearly an opportunity to inspire them with stories beyond how well a young woman can hit a ball with a racket.
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source: people.com
