Last year was a big year for Naomi Osaka. She was dubbed as Forbes’ Highest-Paid Female Athlete, named one of the 2020 Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of the Year for her social justice activism, and she scored an U.S. Open victory against Victoria Azarenka. After a string of fashion deals recently announced, it looks like Osaka will be adding the role of sports team owner to her resume as well. The 23-year-old will be part owner of the North Carolina Courage, a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team.

The tennis superstar officially shared her big announcement on Twitter Thursday. 

“The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don’t know where I would be without them,” Osaka wrote. 

The North Carolina Courage had no problem returning the social media love.

Osaka will be joining the time as a strategic advisor and the first investor to come aboard with Steve Malik, who has been an active owner since 2017, according to PEOPLE.com.

Malik had nothing but kind words to say about Osaka joining their family, according to an official statement on the North Carolina Courage site.

“I am thrilled to welcome Naomi as an owner of the North Carolina Courage. Naomi embodies the values we have been striving to cultivate at our club, and she brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports,” Malik said in the statement. 

For some, this business venture may seem left field but she told PEOPLE that it's all part of her vision of supporting women's sports.

"I've been wanting to get involved with the NWSL for a while, to promote women's sports and also as a business investment because I can see it growing rapidly," she told PEOPLE. "The commissioner of the league introduced me to a few teams and after lengthy conversations, I decided the Courage was the best fit for me."

Currently, Osaka is overseas preparing for the Australian Open and she recently starred in Levi’s latest campaign alongside Jaden and Willow Smith for the “Beauty of Becoming” series. Osaka is the definition of “can’t stop, won’t stop” and we love to see it.

naomi-osakaTennis