Netflix’s ‘Naomi Osaka’ Docuseries Keeps Viewers at a Distance: TV Review

The up and coming tennis star, Naomi Osaka, played against one of the greats, Serena Williams. Ultimately, Osaka, won the match but she was frustrated by the win because Serena Williams was forced to forfeit a game.

Williams’ forfeit was given by the chair umpire after she called him “a thief” for making three nitpicking calls against her. All in all, Osaka felt the win was not earned.

Further, there is a new docuseries about Naomi Osaka, but the series seems to be missing details.

Variety reports:

“This pivotal match opens Netflix’s new ‘Naomi Osaka’ docuseries … no surprise. What does come as a shock, however, is that it never once details the circumstances that led up to Osaka accepting her trophy with such grim acceptance rather than joy. Instead, the first episode (‘Rise’) shows her winning and moves right along to offer glances into Osaka’s life and mindset without ever addressing the full context of her rapid ascendance — or how, perhaps, the particulars of that match might have made her relationship to the subsequent fame even more complex than if it had been rooted in a more straightforward victory. It’s a strange omission, but one that also dictates the pace for how the rest of the docuseries unfolds at arms length.”

Variety