Naomi Osaka embodies the thorny issue of identity when it comes to sporting success

“Identity is a pain in the arse,” said Zadie Smith at the recent Hay Cartagena book festival. The author knows a thing or two about the subject. Her debut novel, White Teeth, is nearly two decades old now, but still speaks to Britain’s relationship with its former colonies and the sons of daughters of them.

Fast forward to 2019 and Japan is coming to terms with Naomi Osaka; the Haitian-Japanese tennis star finding that her identity is a pain in the arse for other people and opening debates on what it means to be Japanese.

The new world number one was born in Japan and raised in America but competes for Japan rather than the US, as her parents decided. Many think-pieces have been penned on what her success means for a country as homogeneous as Japan and its attitude towards its biracial citizens.

Osaka won the recent Australian Open to add to her US Open title at the end of 2018 and is the world number one as of the latest rankings.

While the landmarks keep dropping – Japan’s first grand slam winner, Japan and Asia’s first number one in tennis – the objections do not. How can she represent Japan when she speaks such bad Japanese, some ask, while noodle giant Nissin’s whitewashing of Osaka in a recent advert opened up a different debate.

Attitudes change, people break down barriers, and Osaka is not the only biracial athlete pushing preconceptions. She seems unfazed by the weight of this in interviews but it is of great interest to the media – and will continue to be as she keeps winning.