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Naomi Osaka was given the honor of being the final torchbearer at the Tokyo Olympics during the opening ceremony on Friday. Osaka also signaled the start of the Games by lighting the Olympic cauldron, in what was a historic moment for tennis.
The Japanese is the first-ever tennis player to light an Olympic cauldron. Arguably the most prestigious moment of the entire the opening ceremony, Osaka's show-stopping act caught the attention of the entire world.
The lighting of the cauldron is the final step in the journey of the Olympic torch. This year, the journey began on 25 March in the Fukushima prefecture.
The Olympic torch was brought to the National Stadium in Tokyo by Olympic champions Nomura Tadahiro (Judo) and Yoshida Saori (Wrestling). They passed the flame to legendary Japanese baseballers Hideki Matsui, Shigeo Nagashima and Oh Sadaharu.
The torch was then handed over to a pair of first responders who served Japan during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. After that it was taken up by Paralympian Tsuchida Wakako, who then handed over the flame to a group of young Japanese individuals.
Eventually it was the turn of Naomi Osaka, who was waiting at the bottom of the steps to carry the flame up to the cauldron and light it.
The video of Naomi Osaka lighting the cauldron can be seen here:
Osaka, sporting an eye-catching red braid, first bowed to the young individuals who passed the flame to her. The 23-year-old then briskly walked up the steps to draw level with the cauldron, where she stood in wait for a couple of seconds.
The cauldron opened in dramatic fashion, revealing a grand stairway to the top. The structure represented the circle of life, and Osaka ascended to the top slowly and gracefully.
Upon reaching the top, Osaka turned to each corner of the stadium, showing the torch in all its glory. She finally turned towards the flame-pit of the cauldron, lighting it up.
Naomi Osaka herself tweeted about the moment, expressing her gratitude for being given the opportunity.
"Undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and honor I will ever have in my life," Osaka wrote. "I have no words to describe the feelings I have right now but I do know I am currently filled with gratefulness and thankfulness."
Fans, athletes and celebs join hands on Twitter to celebrate Naomi Osaka's historic moment
People across the globe erupted in unison as Naomi Osaka was spotted taking her position as the final torchbearer. Osaka's role as the cauldron-lighter was met with widespread admiration and applause on Twitter, and there was a steady stream of tweets celebrating the iconic moment.
Tennis legend Billi Jean King marveled at the honor bestowed upon Naomi Osaka, and so did fellow pro Laura Robson. A host of other renowned personalities, former players and journalists made their thoughts known on Twitter as they commended the four-time Slam champion.
It is also pertinent to note that Naomi Osaka was strongly rumored to be the final torchbearer after her opening round match was shifted from Saturday to Sunday. There was widespread speculation that Osaka's match against Zheng was moved so that the Japanese could participate in the opening ceremony, and that's exactly what transpired.
Interestingly, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony is the first major public appearance that Naomi Osaka has made since her opening-round win at Roland Garros. Osaka withdrew from the event in Paris after the organizers fined and threatened her for skipping a post-match press conference, and she had been largely out of the public eye ever since.
But the World No. 2 is now eager to get back to competitive action, as her recent comments about representing Japan at the Tokyo Olympics suggest.
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