WATCH: Naomi Osaka Lights the Olympic Cauldron in First Major Public Appearance Since Opting Out of French Open

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka was revealed as the final torchbearer at the Tokyo Games, lighting the Olympic cauldron.

It’s tradition to keep the final torchbearer at the Olympics a secret until the cauldron is about to be lit. For Osaka, it was her first major public appearance since opting out of the French Open in May, citing mental health concerns.

The Tokyo Olympics have been surrounded by controversy for the last 16 months, forced to postpone the Games last year because of the global pandemic. With a new wave of Covid-19 raging on in Japan, calls to postpone the Games again have continued. Controversy and scandal continued this week when the director of the opening ceremonies, Kentaro Kobayashi was dismissed after old video emerged of him making anti-Semitic remarks and jokes about the Holocaust.

The 23-year-old Osaka has emerged as a global star and better represents the sense of hope the opening ceremonies in Japan tried to portray.

Osaka has been the center of controversy in recent months over her decision to boycott the media, followed by opting out of the French Open. Many media members including Megyn Kelly, Clay Travis and Piers Morgan have questioned Osaka’s ability to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine, while mental health concerns kept her out of competing in recent tennis tournaments.

Osaka will return to the court for the first time as she represents her country during the Tokyo Olympics.

Watch above via NBC.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!