Netflix is set to release a three-part documentary series on the life and journey of tennis icon Naomi Osaka.The world number two features in the upcoming series produced by UNINTERRUPTED – a platform founded by LeBron James and Mav Carter tailored towards making short and feature length films on empowering athletes.UNINTERRUPTED has released a trailer ahead of the launch date on July 16th. We see snippets of the docuseries which will venture into unknown territory – Osaka's life off the court.

A tennis icon

In the blink of an eye, Osaka became one of the world's most talented tennis players. Her rapid rise into the spotlight has put her amongst the world's best, where she currently sits second in the WTA world rankings. 

The Japanese-born star has four major title, the last of which came at this year’s Australian Open and was formerly the world’s top ranked player.

Osaka is the first Asian player in singles history to achieve world number one status.

Naomi Osaka

"Before I won the US Open, so many people told my dad that I would never be anything."

Osaka's breakthrough came when she was just 20 years old, causing major upset to her childhood idol Williams with a win at the 2018 US Open final. Becoming the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam tournament, she was propelled into the spotlight. Since then, she has been regarded as one of the best tennis players in the world and continues to show her resilience and finesse on the court.

That was, however, until her recent withdrawal from the French Open.

Leading the way off the court

"I think the amount of attention I get is kind of ridiculous, no one prepares you for that."

As an athlete, being in the public eye is part and parcel of the job. But this year has been a huge test for Osaka, who recently spoke out about struggling with mental health.

The 23-year-old was threatened with a fine and expulsion from the French Open after she stated she would not be partaking in post-match media duties. She released a statement on Twitter airing her frustration with the some of the press at Roland-Garros who "have no regard for athletes' mental health" during press conferences. 

Osaka withdrew from the tournament just days later and revealed to Twitter the extent of her struggles. 

In a raw and openly honest statement, she wrote: "The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that."

Her tweet was met with floods of supportive comments and the backing of fellow tennis stars including Coco Gauff and Martina Navratilova. Will Smith, Lewis Hamilton and Pink also offered their support to the Japanese star.

Osaka devotes her time both on and off the court to stand for what is right. 

During the 2020 US Open, she wore seven different face masks for each round of the tournament, all bearing the names of victims of racism and police brutality in the US.

Her advocation of the Black Lives Matter movement is also something the Netflix documentary explores. In the short trailer, we grasp that this is going to be a stripped back series that bears all and shows Osaka at her most vulnerable. 

Her success on the tennis court is just one fraction of Osaka's life – we're about to see exactly what builds an athlete's mental strength and the demons they can face in their fight to reach the top.