Naomi Osaka Hosts Coco Gauff, Gaël Monfils, Other Black Tennis Stars at Pre-French Open Party for Emotional Reason

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend brought together Coco Gauff, Gaël Monfils, and other tennis stars at a special event ahead of the 2026 French Open to celebrate Black excellence in the sport. Osaka also shed light on the significance of the gathering in an emotional message, highlighting what it means to be part of a minority in the sport. Naomi Osaka Shares Glimpse of Her Celebrations with Coco Gauff, Gaël Monfils, and Others With the main draw action of the French Open set to get underway on Sunday, May 24, Gauff, Monfils, and Asia Muhammad took a break from their preparations to enjoy the soirée co-hosted by Osaka and Townsend at the Soho House in Paris.

Former player turned presenter Christopher Eubanks was also among the guests at the stylish “black party. ” Osaka shared a glimpse of the festivities on Instagram, relishing the opportunity to co-host her fellow tennis stars. “The black party (RG edition) 🖤 Side note : my first time ever co hosting a dinner/party and let me tell you, no better company to share time with,” Osaka captioned her post.

Gauff and Townsend both signaled their support for the former world No. 1 in the comments. “Just the beginning🖤✔️🗝️,” Townsend wrote.

“❤️❤️❤️,” Gauff commented. Comments on Naomi Osaka’s Instagram Post MORE: ‘Coco Gauff Should Be Much Higher’ – Iga Świątek’s Unexpected French Open Odds Confuse Former American Pros Osaka also shared a powerful message about the “isolating” reality of being a minority in tennis and the unspoken fellowship that exists between Black tennis stars. “Growing up, there weren’t a lot of tennis players I could look up to that looked like me.