The world’s highest-paid female athlete is leaving one of the largest sports and talent management companies to start her own. Tennis champion Naomi Osaka announced her decision to leave IMG and launch the new sports agency, EVOLVE.
In light of the breaking news by Sportico, Osaka explained, “Evolve is the natural next step in my journey as both an athlete and businesswoman, as well as a way to continue being myself and doing things my way.”
The trailblazer is no stranger to taking the unorthodox route and placing the decision-making power back in the hands of athletes. Over the past year, Osaka has become a vocal mental health advocate after removing herself from the 2021 French Open amid a battle with depression. Earlier this month, Fortune reported the star’s partnership with startup Modern Health to amplify the mission of “destigmatizing mental health”.
Amid the announcement, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving expressed interest in joining Osaka’s agency, to which she replied, “Always room.” Duguid explained that the agency has no current interest in growing into a large firm, but adding an additional client or two to the roster would be ideal.
Osaka enters the new venture at EVOLVE with agent Stuart Duguid, who recently parted ways with IMG. Duguid communicated the desire to “focus on partnerships where we can add value, along with creating our own companies at the same time.”
Lead Photo: naomiosaka.com
