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Naomi Osaka took to Twitter on Friday to talk about the three-part Netflix docuseries titled 'Naomi Osaka, Playing by her Own Rules'. Directed by Oscar-nominated director Garrett Bradley, the film - which focuses on the Japanese youngster's life and career so far - was released on 16 July.
Osaka, who has taken time off tennis to focus on her mental health, admitted to being "terrified" ahead of the release. The 23-year-old even claimed that she couldn't "fight the feeling of wondering how it will be received".
"In light of everything that happened recently I was terrified of this being released," Osaka wrote on Twitter. "This isn’t like a tennis match where I win or lose and from there people can say whether I did well or not. This is a look into my life from certain time periods and I can’t fight the feeling of wondering how will it be received."
Now that the documentary is out in public, film critics have gotten a taste of what Garrett Bradley has to offer. The reactions from them so far have been mixed.
From "poignant" to "mild-mannered", critics offer varied reactions to Naomi Osaka's docuseries
Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian lavished praise on the documentary, calling it a "a poignant, painful look at the life of the tennis wunderkind". Nicholson was appreciative of the insights that the series offered into Osaka's personal struggles as a young woman.
"Netflix’s affecting new docuseries reveals Osaka as a young woman plagued by self-doubt, and trying to figure out her place in the world," Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian wrote.
Also offering positive reviews were Lovyi Gyarke of The Hollywood Reporter and Brian Lowry of CNN Philippines, who were both impressed by Bradley's sensitive direction.
Less impressed by the film's "mid-mannered" direction, Jude Dry of IndieWire noted that "the series turns an endless loop of Osaka’s daily grind into quite a dull endeavor".
"With little focus on the actual tennis and a notoriously private subject, even diehard Osaka fans may find themselves yawning," Jude Dry of IndieWire wrote.
Twitter reacts with positive messages following the release of Naomi Osaka docuseries
Fans on Twitter, on the other hand, have been more united in their praise of the docuseries. Scores of them have flooded Naomi Osaka's post about the film's official release with positive comments, ranging from "beautiful" to "touching" and "inspirational".
Netflix also announced the release of the film on their own Twitter handle, accompanied by a short clip from the series. The short video attached with the Netflix tweet, which showed Naomi Osaka talking about wanting to succeed in order to give her mother a better life, is one of the most widely shared videos from the series.
Several users have also shared snippets and screenshots of Naomi Osaka in her ancestral homes in Haiti and Japan, celebrating her multicultural background.
Others have tweeted clips from the series focussing on Osaka's personal life, including an emotional tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant and her involvement with the Black Lives Matter movement.
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