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Naomi Osaka is Making Mental Health Care Global

The tennis superstar and EVOLVE co-founder is bringing the power of mindfulness and meditation to all through a new program on the Hyperice Core App.

Everyone has that voice in their head that tells them they can’t. What if Naomi Osaka was the voice in your head that said you could?

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and co-founder of the EVOLVE talent agency, is investing in her own mental health and that of others by aligning her power and her partners. Serving as Chief Community Health Advocate for Modern Health and also an Athlete Investor at Hyperice, the causes combine on the Core App’s “Relax with Naomi” meditation program.

Not only does the service orient Osaka’s business partners with her own advocacy, but the collaborative concept is also voiced by Osaka herself. In turn, the inner dialogue of those suffering from doubt, depression, or anxiety will have help from someone who’s openly had their own struggles and discovered the right tools to overcome them.

Naomi Osaka Hyperice
Photo via Hyperice

“I want to be a voice in helping those who may not be as open when it comes to the topic of mental health,” Osaka said in a statement. “I hope the meditation I co-developed with Modern Health can inspire those to start a practice of their own as it has helped me so much in my mental health journey. I’m excited to combine my long-time support of Hyperice with my advocacy role at Modern Health to help make mental health practices more accessible and approachable for everyone.”

Currently, a relaxed Osaka appears on the Hyperice homepage — a site typically trafficked for physical recovery tools such as the Normatec compression boots or Hypervolt massage guns. Pivoting to mental wellness and recovery, the Bluetooth-enabled Core unit assists meditators both novice and experienced, guiding users through breathing exercises via calming cues, soft lights, and helpful vibrations.

Co-created by Osaka and clinical experts assembled by Modern Health, the meditations live and breathe on the Hyperice Core device. Launched in 2021, Core is a handheld meditation apparatus that tracks heart rate and stress levels. Already adding 500+ users a month, the Osaka alignment positions the item/service as Hyperice’s pinnacle product despite entering the wellness space through a slightly different lens.

Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates match point at the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Operating at a high level as an athlete, designer, mogul, and model, the superstar full of presence aims to keep all present in this initiative introduced as part of the Mental Wellness Alliance.

Working with 100+ companies from Equinox to WHOOP, Hyperice expresses the goal of reaching 1M users by 2024 to normalize mental wellness in the office and at home.

“When we added Core to the Hyperice family in 2021, it was a message to the world that we believed in a holistic approach to wellness through one’s body and mind,” Hyperice CEO Jim Huether said in a statement.

“We wanted to be able to deliver a tangible tool — something that the user can literally feel a physical connection to — to help achieve an improved state of mental wellness and mindfulness.”

In Osaka, Hyperice has the ideal endorser and voice for its introduction into the mental wellness space. In Hyperice, Osaka has yet another investment deal that aligns her own ethos and everyday habits with that of her expanding portfolio — one that saw her lead all female athletes with an estimated $53M in earnings in 2022 alone.

“Naomi has been a powerful voice surrounding the topic of mental health,” Huether continued. “So having her meditation, co-created with Modern Health, within the Core App further solidifies Hyperice’s mission and commitment to wellness, both mentally and physically.”

Distributed directly online as well as at Target, Bloomingdale’s, and more, ‘Relax with Naomi’ can be accessed through the Core Premium Bundle for both iPhone and Android users.

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Ian Stonebrook

Ian Stonebrook is a Staff Writer covering culture, sports, and fashion for Boardroom. Prior to signing on, Ian spent a decade at Nice Kicks as a writer and editor. Over the course of his career, he's been published by the likes of Complex, Jordan Brand, GOAT, Cali BBQ Media, SoleSavy, and 19Nine. Ian spends all his free time hooping and he's heard on multiple occasions that Drake and Nas have read his work, so that's pretty tight.

About The Author
Ian Stonebrook
Ian Stonebrook
Ian Stonebrook is a Staff Writer covering culture, sports, and fashion for Boardroom. Prior to signing on, Ian spent a decade at Nice Kicks as a writer and editor. Over the course of his career, he's been published by the likes of Complex, Jordan Brand, GOAT, Cali BBQ Media, SoleSavy, and 19Nine. Ian spends all his free time hooping and he's heard on multiple occasions that Drake and Nas have read his work, so that's pretty tight.