Naomi Osaka is a household name after her win at this year's U.S. Open. She defeated her tennis idol, Serena Williams, after a slew of controversial penalties that nearly overshadowed the 20-year-old's historic victory. Osaka is now the first Japanese singles player to win a Grand Slam, the youngest player in the top 20 rankings for the sport, and she is $3.8 million richer, too. Osaka's rise to tennis greatness is yet another example of the power of representation, the importance of a religious work-ethic, and why humility and poise can go a long way.
To celebrate her victory, here are some more interesting facts about the tennis star that makes her so relatable even though she has risen to stardom at such lightning speed.
The Real Reason She Cried After The US Open
Not many can relate to what it must feel like to be thrust upon the world stage at such a young age, besting your childhood hero, and winning at something that you've spent your whole life dreaming about. But one thing we can all probably relate to is crying when people would otherwise think we should be grinning from ear to ear. I'm guilty of the happy but nervous cry, and so is Naomi by her own admission. She told reporters that she was really just overwhelmed with emotion at the U.S. Open, and not crying from frustration with Serena Williams. She says:
"I feel like there was just a lot of emotions...I couldn't really pinpoint it at the time, I just felt very overwhelmed."
And for anyone who thinks we should feel sorry for the way she won her first Grand Slam title, think again. She told reporters that she has no regrets about the way things played out at the U.S. Open, and that she didn't need to "savor the moment" anymore than she did. She revealed:
"I'm grateful that people care or sympathize, but I don't really think there was anything to be sad about...I don't feel like I would've liked to savor the moment more--I think I do things my own way and everyone is different in their own way so I don't really have any regrets."
She's Biracial And Proud
The 20-year-old Haitian-Japanese has come a long way from her birthplace of Osaka, Japan. The daughter of a Japanese mother and Haitian-American father, the Osaka family had to contend with not only the lack of diversity in Japan, but her own family's disapproval of the interracial couple. The family eventually moved to the US when Naomi was just three years old, initially living in New York before moving to South Florida when Naomi was 8 or 9 years old. This makes her a dual citizen, but when she turned pro in 2013, her father decided to register her with the Japanese Tennis Association so that she could represent her country of birth.
If you needed any proof that she is proud of her Haitian heritage, she shut reporters down when she gracefully gathered them all the way together when discussing her biracial roots.
"Well, my dad is Haitian so I grew up in a Haitian household in New York, and I grew up with my grandma, and my mom is Japanese so I grew up with Japanese culture too. And if you're saying American, because I grew up in America, I have that too. So I hope I answered your question."
The best part of all of this is the potential to help change Japan's perceived reverence for racial homogeneity.
She Secured A Major Bag With Adidas
action sports / Shutterstock.com
There is no doubt that her biracial identity can go a long way in shining a light on just how diverse the world really is. Another brand that is hoping to capitalize on the increasing trend of embracing such diversity is Adidas. It was recently announced that Adidas has offered Osaka a deal, which is rumored to be in the $10 million dollar range, and is the largest deal they have ever made with a female tennis player to date.
Not only are they banking on Osaka's appeal as a world class athlete, Adidas knows that Osaka's diverse background and universal appeal will mean more money in the bank for them, too. Go get the bag, Naomi!
Doesn't Own A Car Despite Major Deal With Nissan
When you win a Grand Slam on the world stage, it is almost inevitable that new opportunities will be on the horizon. Your late teens and early twenties are usually a time for self-discovery, enjoying life without a ton of responsibility, learning how to drive and how to navigate life as an official adult. But for the 20-year-old, tennis has been Naomi's number one priority. She's been a tennis pro for the last five years when most young women are concerned about boys and their first car.
It's likely that Osaka will no longer have to worry about the car part, because it was recently announced that the tennis star will become a brand ambassador for Nissan. Her dreams have seemingly begun to come true, and for the tennis player, she is honored to represent Nissan due to it's Japanese origins. She says:
"Growing up, my dad drove a Nissan, so being able to be a brand ambassador now, it feels like I've come full circle."
"This week has been a dream come to life, and I'm so honored to represent Japan and Nissan on the world stage. I was drawn to partner with Nissan because of its strong Japanese DNA and global competitive spirit. The brand is always challenging expectations, and I look forward to bringing its vision for driving excitement to new audiences around the world."
She Crushes On Michael B. Jordan Just Like The Rest Of Us
Anyone who is anyone eventually gets the chance to sit down with Ellen DeGeneres for her daytime talk show. Naomi, who is typically demure in her delivery, played along with Ellen when she asked about some of her faves. She mentioned that Beyonce is her favorite singer and that her celebrity crush just happens to be Michael B. Jordan. Who couldn't relate to that?
And in true Ellen fashion, the talk show host took it one step further and reached out to Jordan on Naomi's behalf. In response, Michael B Jordan recorded the sweetest video that left all of us swooning. He says that Naomi is "an amazing example" that encourages young kids around the world to work hard in pursuit of their dreams. In the video, Jordan says that Osaka is now on his radar, too. He said:
"Just know that all the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears that you put into this sport, that you put into your journey, people are finally being able to see — and that's a big thing to be proud of...Keep being great, everybody's watching now — me too."
We are all watching now, Naomi: no pressure!
Featured image by action sports / Shutterstock.com
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
