Mattel Launches Naomi Osaka Barbie Doll

Four-time Grand Slam champion and rising olympian Naomi Osaka has another unique accolade under her belt: she is among the select few to be honored with their very own Barbie doll. Osaka’s Barbie doll dons a replica of a Nike tennis dress Osaka wore at the 2020 Australian Open and comes with a matching white Nike visor, a tennis ball, and a Yonex racket. Mattel announced on Monday the doll is now available for purchase on Amazon and the Mattel website, making Osaka the latest among many other empowering women Mattel has honored with a Barbie doll in their likeness as part of their Role Model Series, including former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and Australian parliament member Julie Bishop. 

This is not the first time Osaka has gotten her own Barbie doll, however—in 2019, Mattel released their first Naomi Osaka Barbie doll to commemorate the iconic brand’s 60th birthday and also in recognition of the inspiring strides the Japanese-Haitian athlete was already making at the time. 

“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 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!”

Osaka has made headlines recently for withdrawing from both the French Open in May and Wimbledon the following month, citing concerns for her mental health. Osaka withdrew from the French Open upon feeling that the controversy surrounding her decision not to partake in post-match news conferences due to the press’ negative questions impacting her mental state would ultimately overshadow the game itself for everybody involved. Osaka was fined $15,000 by the French Open’s tournament referee for her refusal to partake in the mandatory conferences (which the meditation app Calm voluntarily paid on her behalf), and has since been applauded by many for her decision to prioritize her wellbeing over her career.

After taking time to renew and recharge, Osaka will indeed be playing in the Tokyo Olympics, with tennis running from July 24 through August 1 at the games. The Naomi Osaka Barbie Doll, which makes a great gift for tennis fans, collectors, and tennis fans alike, is available for purchase here.