![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210202052158/2021-01-29T050140Z_1279673370_UP1EH1T0DYS03_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-AUSTRALIA-EXHIBITION.jpg?width=600)
via Reuters
Tennis – A Day at the Drive Exhibition – Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia – Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts during her match against Serena Williams of the U.S. at A Day at The Drive REUTERS/Morgan Sette
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210202052158/2021-01-29T050140Z_1279673370_UP1EH1T0DYS03_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-AUSTRALIA-EXHIBITION.jpg?width=600)
via Reuters
Tennis – A Day at the Drive Exhibition – Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia – Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts during her match against Serena Williams of the U.S. at A Day at The Drive REUTERS/Morgan Sette
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid women’s athlete in the world in 2021. However, tennis was not the only reason spurring on this accomplishment. Besides the prize money earned from the sport, top-notch endorsement deals, and collaborations, the 23-year-old also launched her skincare brand, Kinlo.
But what inspired her to go down the entrepreneurship path was still a mystery. Well, not anymore.
During the GoDaddy Open 2021 show, Osaka revealed a “Cupcake Day” story about her school days encouraged her entrepreneurial side. Although it was an inspiring tale, the tennis star also added that experience in the field matters the most.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Read More: “DM Resumes”: Serena Williams Hunts for Make-Up Artists as Daughter Olympia Screws It Up
Naomi Osaka on inspiration to become an entrepreneur
Notably, the GoDaddy Open 2021 aimed to promote an actionable approach in businesspeople around the world. And so, as a young and successful entrepreneur, Naomi Osaka checked all the boxes for the show.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210202052218/2021-01-29T060444Z_1791938085_UP1EH1T0GVW11_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-AUSTRALIA-EXHIBITION.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
via Reuters
Tennis – A Day at the Drive Exhibition – Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia – January 29, 2021 Japan’s Naomi Osaka talks to the media at A Day at The Drive REUTERS/Morgan Sette
During the show, the interviewer asked Osaka if she knew when she would become an entrepreneur. In response, the 23-year-old started with, “Actually, there’s a funny story.”
“In my school, there used to be a Cupcake Day, so we used to bake our own cupcakes and sell them. It was really competitive, so I’d want to sell more cupcakes than all the other kids.”
View this post on Instagram
Furthermore, Osaka explained how she got excited to excel more than others. She also added the actual requirement to take up entrepreneurship.
“I’d run around the whole gym because they had a setup in our gym with our own little, like posters, advertising our cupcakes. So I think, in that moment, I sort got a taste of what it might be like to be an entrepreneur,” Osaka explained. “But I don’t think you really know you want to be something until you’re, sort of, a little bit down that path.”
Watch this story: A Look Inside Serena Williams Lavish Million Dollar Mansions Around the World
Osaka follows Serena Williams’s footsteps
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Similar to Osaka, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has found enormous success as a businesswoman. Serena has her capital venture, jewelry line, fashion brand, and many more businesses so far.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210207104921/2021-01-29T060247Z_39401595_UP1EH1T0GSN0V_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-AUSTRALIA-EXHIBITION.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
via Reuters
Tennis – A Day at the Drive Exhibition – Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia – January 29, 2021 Japan’s Naomi Osaka with Serena Williams of the U.S. at A Day at The Drive REUTERS/Morgan Sette
For now, the Japanese star has started with Kinlo, skincare that has an option for people with melanin skin. Let’s see how she extends her business career with time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Do you think Osaka will exceed Serena in terms of tennis and business success?
Also Read: Naomi Osaka Finds Her Dressing Room in Sesame Street, Takes Selfie With Elmo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT