Naomi Osaka.Photo: Robert Prange/Getty
Naomi Osakawants young girls to “see the beauty and benefit in sports,” and she’s hoping that her new children’s book,The Way Champs Play, will help to do just that.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is making her debut as an author with her new book, she tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“I wanted to reach young girls in a way that they would enjoy and understand and it was really fun to simplify and celebrate girls in sport,” the 24-year-old tennis star says of writingThe Way Champs Play. “I knew when I startedmy company Hana Kumathat we wanted to help tell stories that empowered women and girls, so it was the perfect fit to have this book be the first one we published.”
Naomi Osaka.Harper Collins
“I am still sorting through finding confidence in myself and what I do — that is why this book means so much,” she says. “It’s really a process and something I work on daily.”
The two-time U.S. Open champsays that though she “really looked up to the Williams sisters and Billie Jean King growing up,” there’s still a lack of female-driven sports books.
“I always felt there weren’t enough female-focused stories out there,” she says. “It’s nice to see that shifting in all sports.”
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And withThe Way Champs Play,Osaka is encouraging girls to dream big.
“I hope that young girls see the beauty and benefit in sports and to remember that no dream is too big to dream,” she says. “I also love the message that reminds young girls to also have fun, it’s something that I think we lose and it’s an important part of the game.”
source: people.com
