New Barbie Naomi Osaka doll sells out hours after release

Barbie doll Naomi Osaka (Credit: Mattel)
CHICAGO – Mattel’s new Naomi Osaka Barbie doll sold out just hours after launch.
âDue to high demand, we are currently out of stock of this doll,â the company said on its website.
Mattel announced on Monday the release of the doll honoring the 23-year-old tennis star.
The Osaka doll, designed by Carlyle Nuera, is part of the Barbie Role Models line of dolls featuring ‘amazing’ women ‘past and present’ whose stories are meant to ‘inspire more girls’.
“I hope every child remembers that he can be and do anything”, Osaka tweeted about the collaboration.
Osaka doll wears a Nike tennis dress with Nike shoes and a visor, and holds a Yonex tennis racquet.
âFun fact: (doll is wearing my 2020 Australian Open outfit lol),â Osaka tweeted.
The articulated doll also has the curly hair and beauty marks of the four-time Grand Slam winner, and comes with a display stand.
Osaka, who won their first Grand Slam title in 2018, has spoken openly about race and mental health issues, among others.
âObviously, Naomi’s athletic skills are unmatched, that’s a fact,â Nuera said in a statement. “But personally, what I admire the most about Naomi Osaka is the way she uses her platform, the spotlight on her and her voice, to raise awareness for social justice.”
At the end of May, Osaka drew attention to the mental health issue when she withdrew from Roland Garros, saying she had “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media and that she had “suffered from long periods of depression”. She took a sanity break and sat down at Wimbledon; his return is slated for the Olympics, which are set to begin in two weeks without fans amid a state of emergency in Japan.
Osaka, who was ranked No.1 and is the world’s highest paid female athlete, is also a passionate philanthropist.
The Osaka doll retails for $ 29.99, and Mattel says customers can be notified “if it becomes available for purchase.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.