Osaka returns to spotlight on red carpet at The ESPYS

Naomi Osaka returned to the spotlight for the first time since withdrawing from the French Open in May and skipping Wimbledon, posing on the red carpet at The ESPYS on Saturday night.

The world’s highest-paid female athlete faced a slew of photographers in New York, with one being heard urging her, “Nice smile” as cameras clicked furiously. Osaka offered a faint closed-mouth smile in response.

Osaka won trophies as the best athlete in women's sports and best women's tennis player at the annual show honoring the year’s top athletes and sports moments. It was moved from Los Angeles to New York for an outdoor, socially distanced show this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tom Brady won best men's athlete and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers were named best team. The quarterback, who turns 44 next month, won his seventh Super Bowl title this year in his first season with the Bucs.

Osaka, who has won four Grand Slam titles, pulled out of the French Open before the second round, saying she has “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media and that she has “suffered long bouts of depression.” She also sat out Wimbledon. She’ll return for the Tokyo Olympics, representing her native Japan.

She high-fived boyfriend-rapper Cordae from YBN Collective before taking the stage.

“I just really want to not say a long speech because I’m a bit nervous,” Osaka said. “This year has been a really, it hasn’t even finished, but it’s been really tough for a lot of us. For me, I just want to say I really love you guys.”

Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball won as best breakthrough athlete. The best game award was Gonzaga's 93-90 win over UCLA in the semifinals of the men's NCAA Tournament. DeVonta Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama and now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles,...

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