SI Insider: Naomi Osaka's Star Is Rising

Two years ago, Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams in the U.S. Open and was overwhelmed to the point of tears.

Now, Osaka won the U.S. Open in a style that was more emblematic of a superstar: confident, skilled, and with a message. Osaka used her stage not just to be an athlete, but to fully embrace her role as an activist, bringing attention to the names of seven black people who have been killed by police in recent times.

Osaka has quickly become a superstar in front of our eyes over the past two years, says SI senior writer Jon Wertheim.