Naomi Osaka is just like the rest of the tennis community, unsurprisingly enamoured to see Serena Williams back on court.
In one of the most unlikely comebacks in the sport’s history, the 44-year-old had seemingly only been set to play doubles initially.
However, the offer of a singles wildcard at Wimbledon was impossible for her to deny, and she more than held her own despite Williams eventually losing in three sets to Maya Joint.
Naomi Osaka, speaking after her most recent win at the All England Club, has shared her thoughts on this return to action from one of her inspirations.
Naomi Osaka admits Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback made her emotional
Asked if she had managed to have a conversation with Serena Williams since her return, or if their kids had played together, Osaka first admitted: “No, honestly, I haven’t seen her in person.”
She then spoke about her clash with Joint: “I watched the match until the second set was over, then I had to go to sleep because I was first on today. It was really cool.
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“Obviously, like, the montages that they had before the match started made me really emotional because I feel like I’ve watched her growing up. Now I feel like I’m grown up and I get the privilege of watching her again.
“So it was really cool.”
Osaka credited Serena Williams with inspiring a generation of champions back in 2021, making it even more intriguing to see her back competing against those who have spent their whole lives looking up to her.
Naomi Osaka has a winning record vs Serena Williams
It’s no surprise that Osaka is so delighted to see Serena back given she currently boasts a winning record against the legendary American, having won three of their four meetings.
Of course, that is not the reason why she is delighted to see the 23-time Grand Slam champion back performing on the highest stage.
She, just like the rest of the tennis world, is naturally enamoured with this incredible comeback story, which seemed simply impossible this time last year.
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Osaka and Williams contested some extremely hard-fought battles before the latter unofficially retired from the sport in 2022, including an Australian Open semi-final in 2021 and the 2018 US Open final.
Following that showdown in New York, Williams was heavily criticised for her conduct, accusing the umpire of cheating her out of the victory.
