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Following in the footsteps of other superstar athletes like Serena Williams and Stephen Curry, four-time major champion and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka announced she would be releasing her first children's book with a post on Instagram on Tuesday. Titled "The Way Champs Play," the book is set to be released on Dec. 6 and, in an amazing flex, will be published by her production company Hana Kuma. "I hope this book inspires kids to chase their dreams and encourages them to believe they can do anything they put their minds to," Osaka wrote about the project. Osaka said a portion of the proceeds would go towards her Play Academy foundation. It's the latest off-the-court venture for the entrepreneurial-minded Osaka, who Forbes named the highest paid female athlete in the world in 2021. In the past year she has launched her production company, released a skincare brand, and co-founded her own sports agency, in addition to her already existing sponsorships, endorsements and partnerships. Osaka, however, hasn't had quite the same success on the court lately. She lost in the first round at the US Open, a tournament in which she is a two-time champion, and didn't advance past the third round at a major in 2022. She reached her lone final of the year at Miami, where she lost to reigning No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Osaka, 24, last played at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September but withdrew ahead of her second-round match due to illness.
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