If you won’t own your story, someone else will

Why are we still debating this?

Sport hasn’t been “just sport” for a very long time. It’s storytelling, played out under lights, livestreamed, sliced up, repackaged, debated and judged in real time.

And yet whenever an athlete takes control of their narrative, the same panic sets in. Is this appropriate? Does this belong? Shouldn’t they just focus on the game?

The Australian Open showed again this year why that question misses the point.

Naomi Osaka’s fashion-led entrance wasn’t a distraction. It was a choice. A deliberate act of self-definition. A reminder that modern athletes aren’t passive subjects of coverage – they are active authors of their own story, even when that story makes people uncomfortable.

At the same tournament, Ukrainian player Oleksandra Oliynykova stepped into the post-match press conference wearing a shirt that carried a quiet but unmistakable political message (“I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women but I can’t talk about it here”). No spectacle. No explanation. Just conviction, worn plainly, knowing full well it wouldn’t please everyone.

Different executions. Same courage.

Because the best storytelling isn’t about being liked. It’s about being honest – even when honesty invites ridicule, discomfort or calls to “stay in your lane”.

Tennis has always rewarded those willing to own who they are, even when it breaks the mould.
Andre Agassi rewrote the game’s image with big hair, denim and defiance.
Serena Williams used fashion as power, identity and protest, absorbing the backlash without blinking.
Nick Kyrgios understands that attention is currency – and refusing to play nice is still a strategy.
Roger Federer built a brand on consistency and restraint, choosing elegance as his signature.
Ash Barty proved that walking away on your own terms can be the strongest statement of all.

Different styles. Same truth: ownership matters.

The marketing lesson is blunt. If you don’t shape your narrative, someone else will – and they won’t do it kindly. Athletes who endure aren’t just performing. They’re managing meaning, reputation and relevance, moment by moment.

So, the real question isn’t whether this kind of storytelling belongs in sport. It’s why anyone still thinks neutrality, silence or playing it safe is the smarter option.

And, frankly, the boldest brands on court or off have never waited for permission.

Bel