As Wimbledon gets underway, Naomi Osaka is back on grass courts, ranked in the top 15 of women’s singles, this time with a big shift off the court as well. Four years after co-founding the sports management agency DevelopOsaka is reunited IMGreturning to a more traditional representation structure as the 28-year-old athlete refocuses on competition. Osaka continues to run her own media company Stop And and skin care brand HOW MUCH. While she remains deeply involved in her business ventures, Osaka now relies on a tighter circle of partners to manage her growing portfolio alongside her tennis career.
Osaka’s path up to this point has been anything but linear. After choosing to compete in ITF Women’s Circuit at just 14 years old, she became the first Asian player to reach world No. 1 in singles by 2019. A series of breaks for mental health, maternity and injury recovery followed her Grand Slam run from 2018 to 2021, and her ranking dropped to 59th by the end of 2024. However, her latest comeback more than 4 times at the top has done it and putting it within the reach of the main players like Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff AND Iga Swiatek.
Like many elite athletes who balance competition with business ambitions, Osaka has built a team to support her ventures off the field. Here are the key figures behind that network.
Stuart Duguid, Osaka agent and business partner
Stuart DuguidThe 43-year-old represented Osaka for roughly a decade after the two met at IMG in 2016, where he served as senior vice president. In 2022, they left the agency together to launch Evolve, a sports management firm whose early clients included Nick Kyrgios and later expanded to stars like Aryna Sabalenka and Our Jabeur.
After Osaka’s contract with Duguid ended, she returned to IMG, while Duguid remains at Evolve as managing partner.
“You can show them that they have some magic and can touch lives outside of just those around us when we come to the Grand Slams,” Duguid said in a 2024 interview, describing his focus on athletes with “the potential to transcend tennis.“
Duguid and Osaka also co-founded Hana Kuma in 2022 in partnership with LeBron James‘ SpringHill Company. The media firm went independent in 2023 after raising $5 million and has since backed projects such as Emmy nominees Mink! AND Good problems with Nick Kyrgiostogether with a brand building initiative for women’s golf. The name, which translates to “flower bear” in Japanese, reflects a balance of softness and strength.
Duguid played a central role in Osaka’s rise as a global business figure, helping her become the world’s highest-paid female athlete from 2020 to 2022—a title later surpassed by Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.
Hill Harper and Ari Bloom, Osaka’s KINLÒ team
Hill Harper AND Golden Bloom co-founded A-Frame Brands in 2019, a beauty incubator focused on underserved markets. Through A-Frame, they collaborated with Osaka to launch KINLÒ, a skincare and sun brand designed for melanated skin. The company has also developed other lines, including Gabrielle Union AND DWYANE WADEbaby care brand With pride.
As CEO of KINLÒ, Osaka shapes the brand’s vision and public identity, while Harper and Bloom oversee operations, manufacturing and retail distribution. Their products are now carried by major retailers including The aim AND Walmart.
“Our business is built with diversity at its core,” Bloom said in a 2023 interview, noting that 97 percent of the company’s team comes from historically underrepresented communities and half of board members are women.
KINLÒ raised a seed round in 2022 backed by investors including former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and tennis legend Billie Jean Kingas well as firms like Forerunner. Kaepernick also serves on the company’s board. The broader management team includes the president Mia Meaham and director of dermatology Dr. AS Mrs. Boakye.
Alexandre Cohen, Financial Advisor for Osaka Investments
Since 2022, Osaka has been working with him Alexander Cohenfounder of advisory firm Heights, to lead its expanding portfolio of investments.
The two co-invested in the Miami Pickleball Club, part of Major League Pickleball, in 2023. Cohen has also advised Osaka on deals involving startups such as healthy ramen brand immi and texture hair salon chain Pressed Roots.
Beyond individual investments, Cohen has supported Osaka in building its broader business ecosystem, including the launch of Evolve and KINLÒ, while continuing to manage properties such as its stake in the North Carolina team in the National Women’s Soccer League.
