Naomi Osaka becomes the first Black female athlete to appear on a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover

• Naomi Osaka posed for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
• She is the first Black female athlete to be on the cover of the issue.
• Megan Thee Stallion and Leyna Bloom were also 2021 cover stars for the issue.

Naomi Osaka just made history as the first Black female athlete to pose for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover.

Osaka, who will be representing Japan at the 2021 Olympics, was photographed by Yu Tsai for one of three covers for the magazine's swimsuit issue. She posed in Norma Kamali swimwear and earrings from Beads by Cowrie.

"I wouldn't have thought that I would have been the first one," Osaka said of being the first Black female athlete on a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in a conversation with Tyra Banks. Banks was the first Black woman to star on the cover of the magazine alone.

"I'm glad that this barrier is being broken," Osaka told Banks.

"I hope there are many, many more people to come, and I'm sure there will be," she added.

Osaka, 23, released her American citizenship in 2019 so she could compete for Japan in the 2021 Olympics.

The athlete withdrew from both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2021, writing in an essay for Time that she needed to prioritize her mental health. She wrote that withdrawing gave her time to "recharge" for the Tokyo games.

"I could not be more excited to play in Tokyo," she said. "An Olympic Games itself is special, but to have the opportunity to play in front of the Japanese fans is a dream come true. I hope I can make them proud."

MJ Day, the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated, said in a press release that Osaka's advocacy for mental health was one of the reasons the brand wanted her on the cover of the swimsuit issue.

"We celebrate Naomi for her passion, strength, and power geared towards consistently breaking barriers when it comes to equality, social justice, and mental health," Day said.

"For me, I feel like I've always been one to not want to use my voice," Osaka said in her conversation with Banks. "But then I feel like there's also a lot of things that have happened, and over the past year I just felt like, you know, there has to be someone that speaks up about uncomfortable things."

Osaka wasn't the only 2021 cover star to make history.

Megan Thee Stallion was the first rapper to pose for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, and model and actress Leyna Bloom is the first transgender model to star on the magazine's cover.

Stallion wore a Fashion Nova swimsuit and a Lizzie Fortunato bracelet, while Bloom sported swimwear from Gil Rodrigues and jewelry by SOKO. James Macari photographed Stallion, and Yu Tsai captured Bloom.

"If there's one thing that our cover models have in common, it's that they don't have one thing in common," Day said. "They look different, have different upbringings, have different passions and inspirations. But each is a reminder that beauty comes in many forms."

"Leyna Bloom makes history as the first transgender cover model in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's history, and the first trans person of color to appear on our pages, solidifying the fact that the more diverse and inclusive a community, the stronger it becomes," Day went on to say.

"As for Megan Thee Stallion, she is a magnetic powerhouse taking the world by storm. Together these women represent three of the most powerful voices of today," she said.

Stallion described the shoot as "perfect," "magical," and "one of the best experiences in my life" in an interview with People.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will be available for purchase on July 22.