Naomi Osaka tries pickleball with Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe after early

Naomi Osaka didn’t have an ideal campaign at the ongoing Australian Open, getting bundled out 6-4, 7-6(2) to 16th-seeded Caroline Garcia in the first round on Monday (January 15). The Japanese star promptly flew back to the USA, but not before trying out pickleball for fun.

Before this year, Naomi Osaka had been on the sidelines since late 2022 due to her pregnancy. The 26-year-old gave birth to her daughter Shai with boyfriend and rap artist Cordae last July, following which she announced that she would make her much-awaited comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International.

The two-time Australian Open champion’s return has not lived up to expectations, as she lost in the first round in Melbourne and the second round in Brisbane. Having said that, the Japanese hasn’t been bogged down too much by the results, going by her recent Instagram post.

Naomi Osaka recently let her hair down and had some fun with Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe at Rooftop at QT in Melbourne, trading in her tennis racket for a pickleball paddle. She also brought the style to the event, donning an oversized floral shirt with black short tights and a pastel cap.

Osaka posted the photos from her outing on Instagram with the caption:

“Ngl it felt good to be back in Australia”

Naomi Osaka looking for some redemption in “chapter two of her tennis journey” in 2024

Naomi Osaka has lost two of her three matches this year, her form is expected to improve as she plays more matches. The four-time Major titlist is motivated to leave a dent on the WTA tour this year.

Last year, the Japanese took to her Instagram handle to express gratitude to her fans for staying by her side during the tough times. She also insisted that she is elated at having a second shot at professional tennis, calling it the ‘chapter two of her tennis journey’.

“Thank you. Thank you for believing in me and thank you for putting up with me. I know we’ve shared some really amazing memories and I also know that I’ve done some things that I wish I would’ve handled differently, lol. Regardless of all that, thank you for allowing me to grow up on my own time and thank you for showing me a ton of patience,” she wrote on her Instagram handle last December.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you all but I’m so grateful. Very honored to be going on chapter 2 of this tennis journey together and I’m so excited to see you guys next year,” she added.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee