When it comes to investing, Naomi Osaka has been something of a trendsetter for female athletes. She is among the athletes who earn the greatest salaries, with a projected net worth of $50 million in 2024. The Japanese megastar has invested in both football and pickleball. In 2022, she made the decision to heavily invest in pickleball, following in the footsteps of several famous athletes. But who encouraged her to invest in the sport that is expanding the fastest in America the most?
In an interview with Bloomberg in Abu Dhabi, Naomi Osaka recently discussed how NBA player LeBron James influenced her pickleball decision. She also discussed her recent endeavors in sports management and her new production company.
Naomi Osaka discusses pickleball’s unexpected surge in popularity in the sports world.
In September 2022, LeBron James and his friends made their first investment in a pickleball team. Observing the significant involvement of American sports players, Osaka decided to invest in Major League Pickleball.
Alongside Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, she launched Miami Pickleball Club in 2022 after making a large investment in the league. Shortly after investing, Naomi Osaka expressed her joy on social media, stating she was thrilled to be part of the MLP league and another sport through a Miami-based club.
Osaka recalled that LeBron James had encouraged her to invest in pickleball, saying, “Pickleball was kind of unknown for me.” It seems like a sport that has been around for a while. But it seems like it happened suddenly. Additionally, learning about it and witnessing, I suppose, LeBron and Matt’s involvement in it helped me to believe it was a solid idea in the first place.
But when it comes to her business and investment ideas, Naomi Osaka looks to several well-known figures in the sports industry. Those celebrities are who?
Osaka describes Serena Williams’ venture capital firm as “really cool.”
When asked who athletes she looked up to while developing her investment plans, Osaka replied, “Obviously, I looked up to LeBron and Kobe (Bryant) a lot.” The fact that Serena founded her venture capital firm impressed me. Meeting folks who are conducting business is amusing. I am aware of how much Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are doing. There are a lot of individuals.
Naomi Osaka recently enjoyed playing pickleball with Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe on the Rooftop at QT in Melbourne. She sported black shorts, a pastel hat, and an oversized floral top during the activity. Please tell us what you think about tennis stars getting into the pickleball trend.