Naomi Osaka walks out in a Breonna Taylor mask before her US Open match (Video)

Naomi Osaka wore a mask with Breonna Taylor’s name on it before her US Open match on Monday.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka took the opportunity to make a powerful statement ahead of her first US Open Match on Monday night, wearing a mask in honor of Breonna Taylor.

Osaka’s mask, which was black with white bold letters, called attention to the EMT who was shot and killed by police in Louisville as they served a no-knock search warrant in March.

With no charges brought against the officers who mistakenly fired upon her, striking her eight times, Breonna Taylor’s name has become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Naomi Osaka has been outspoken on social justice issues.

This isn’t the first time Osaka has used her platform to make a statement about social justice amid the recent unrest.

Last week the Western & Southern Open opted to suspend play on Thursday after Osaka indicated she would forfeit her semifinal match to join NBA, WNBA, MLS and MLB teams in sitting out to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Wisconsin police officer.

“As a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis,” Osaka, who is half-Japanese and half-Haitian, wrote on Twitter.

The power Osaka wields in the world of tennis is significant as one of the up-and-coming stars of the sport. She won the 2018 US Open over Serena and the 2019 Australian Open over Petra Kvitova.

When she returned to play on Friday, Osaka wore a black T-shirt depicting a clenched fist with a wrist band that read, “Black Lives Matter.”

Osaka won her match on Friday but had to pull out of Saturday’s singles final because of a hamstring injury.

On Monday night, her US Open opponent is Misaki Doi.