Watch Naomi Osaka light the Olympic Cauldron in Tokyo

published 23 July 2021

Naomi Osaka is having a big year. She beat Serena Williams and won her second Australian Open title in February; she spoke out about protecting her mental health and withdrew from the French Open in May; and she appeared as both the first Haitian and the first Japanese woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated and made a fool out of Megyn Kelly earlier this month.

Then on Friday, the Japan-born 23-year-old tennis superstar was revealed to be the surprise athlete tasked with the immense honor of lighting the Olympic Cauldron to open the Tokyo Olympics:

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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