Tennis Star Naomi Osaka co-Owns Women’s Soccer League’s North Carolina Courage

Tennis icon, Naomi Osaka who was recently signed as Louis Vuitton’s latest brand ambassador, has taken her investment to the National Women’s Soccer League, the North Carolina Courage.

According to the women’s soccer team, Osaka is the first investor it has had since the owner, Steve Malik acquired and relocated the team to North Carolina in 2017.

Talking about her investment in the team, Osaka said her investment in Courage is “far beyond just being a team owner, it’s an investment in amazing women who are role models and leaders in their fields and inspirations to all young female athletes.” Adding that, the North Carolina Courage plays an admirable role in promoting “diversity and equality” in the communities.

“The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today. I don’t know where I would be without them,” Osaka said in a Twitter post. “Throughout my career, I’ve always received so much love from my fellow female athletes so that’s why I am proud to share that I am now an owner of @TheNCCourage.”

Chairman of the North Carolina Courage, Steve Malik, in a statement, expressed his excitement to have Osaka on board.

“Naomi embodies the values we have been striving to cultivate at our club, she brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports. I cannot think of anyone better to help us as we continue to make a difference in our community and inspire the next generation of women,” Malik said.

President and General Manager of the North Carolina Courage, Curt Johnson, also described Naomi as the “perfect fit as an owner” because of the values she upholds.

Osaka told PEOPLE that it had always been her plan to get involved with the NWSL for quite some time. She aimed to support and promote women’s sports while making a profit from the business investment. After a lengthy discussion with the commissioner of the league, Osaka decided on the Courage.

Her decision to invest in the Courage was mainly influenced by their successes, and efforts to promote diversity and equality for all women, as well as the courage for calling out social injustices on their platforms.

Although Osaka doesn’t intend to be involved with the day-to-day operations of the North Carolina Courage, she will take up an advisory role to keep her more involved with the brand as a whole.

“We have some plans to do some really unique and cool stuff together,” Osaka said. “I plan to be more involved as more of a strategic advisor on things like growing the brand, promoting women’s sports, encouraging the next generation and tackling social issues.”