Two-Time US Open Champ Naomi Osaka Looked Powerful on SI Swimsuit Set

The tennis player traveled to Malibu, Calif., for her 2021 cover feature.

Naomi Osaka was photographed by Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

It’s comeback time for Naomi Osaka. She’s been clear about that since the start of the 2024 tennis season, when she returned to competitive play after over a year away from the court. During the interim, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Shai. The experience impressed upon her the difficulty of professional athletics, including the time and effort that goes into having a successful career. But that realization hasn’t deterred her. If anything, it has added fuel to her fire.

Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion. She won all four of her major titles from 2018 to 2021, and worked her way up to No. 1 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. In early 2023, she announced her pregnancy and her leave from competition. But she never really set down her racket. The Japanese professional has a winning mentality, and she kept working toward her goals even as she was pregnant—and almost immediately after, too.

Osaka perhaps hasn’t seen as many wins since her return to competition this past January as she may have liked. But she remains undeterred. The two-time US Open champion (2018 and 2021) played in the first round of the New York tournament on Tuesday, beating Latvian tennis player Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets. She will look to continue her run in her second round matchup on Thursday, Aug. 29.

But the court isn’t the only place where she displays her spirit and skills. Osaka has always expressed herself through her fashion, for brand campaigns and her Instagram feed alike. Plus, she’s has serious skill in front of the camera. We would know, as the athlete posed for the cover of the 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue in Malibu, Calif. While there’s so much we could say about her positive attitude, powerful determination and beauty, we’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Naomi Osaka was photographed by Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif. Swimsuit by Norma Kamali. Earrings by Anita Ko. Ring by Khiry. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Naomi Osaka was photographed by Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif. Swimsuit by Norma Kamali. Earrings by Beads Byaree. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Naomi Osaka was photographed by Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif. Swimsuit by Louis Vuitton x Naomi Osaka. Dress by Michael Schmidt. Earrings by Ana Khouri. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated