Naomi Osaka needs to make it to the championship round to unveil all seven masks she had made specifically to wear at the U.S. Open to raise awareness against police brutality and social injustice.
The 2018 champion played and won for the fifth time Tuesday night in the quarterfinals, honoring George Floyd with his name on her mask before and after her 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Shelby Rogers at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Osaka also has donned masks honoring Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin earlier in the tournament.
During her post-match interview on ESPN, the network showed her videos sent by Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, and Marcus Arbery, Ahmaud’s father, thanking Osaka for her gestures throughout the tournament.
“Actually, I was just trying really hard not to cry,” Osaka said during her post-match press conference “For me, it’s a bit surreal and it’s extremely touching that they would feel touched by what I’m doing. I feel like what I’m doing is nothing. It’s a speck of what I could be doing. So it was really emotional. I feel like after I saw it, at first I was a bit in shock, but now that I’m here and I took some time, I’m really grateful and really humbled.”
The 22-year-old Osaka will face Jennifer Brady in the semifinals, with a potential rematch of the 2018 finals against Serena Williams looming.


