The latest Barbie doll celebrating tennis star Naomi Osaka went up for pre-sale this morning and sold out in minutes.
Monday morning, Mattel announced that Naomi Osaka had been immortalized with her second Barbie doll — the Naomi Osaka Barbie Role Model Doll. The doll features a replica blue-and-pink Nike tank top and shorts with a white flared skirt, similar to her outfit at the 2020 Australian Open, along with a Yonex tennis racquet, light-blue Nike sneakers, and a white visor to compliment the outfit.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Barbie Role Model series and to remind young girls that they can make a difference in the world,” Osaka said. “I want young girls everywhere to feel empowered to dream big and to know that if they believe in themselves that anything is possible!”
The news of the launch sent fans in a frenzy, and within minutes it completely sold out on Amazon and the official Barbie website.
The Barbie release comes at a special time for Osaka, as she has been an inspiration for many who have chosen to put their mental health ahead of their professions since withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon. She recently wrote an essay for Time magazine about her sudden celebrity.
“I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it’s still so new to me, and I don’t have all the answers,” she wrote. “I do hope that people can relate and understand it’s O.K. to not be O.K., and it’s O.K. to talk about it. There are people who can help, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.”
I first teamed up with @Barbie in 2019 and today we’re introducing the Barbie Role Model Naomi Osaka doll. I hope every child is reminded that they can be and do anything: https://t.co/GrPuW1WkMn
Fun fact : (the doll is wearing my outfit from the 2020 Australian Open lol) pic.twitter.com/DlL98lNfQj
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 12, 2021
In 2019, Osaka was honored with her first Barbie for the brand’s 60th anniversary.
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