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Culture Clash

Sports MONITOR

Naomi Osaka and Gen Z Values Take Center Court

Naomi Osaka, the #2 women’s tennis player in the world, recently shocked the sports world by withdrawing from one of the most important tournaments in her sport, citing the mental strain she experiences in post-match press conferences due to her depression and social anxiety.

We explore how Gen Z, of which Osaka is a member, is diverging from the dominant sports culture of the last 30 years, and how Osaka’s values and decisions could be a glimpse of what fans expect of athletes in the future.

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