In one of the questions, a fan urged Osaka to play every match at the Australian Open with the conviction that she has something to prove. She replied by asserting that she has nothing to prove to anyone, since naysayers will always be critical of her, irrespective of the number of Grand Slams she wins.
The World No. 14 was next asked to share a funny behind-the-scenes incident with her fans. In reply, Osaka revealed how her feet couldn’t fit inside her heels during her ‘champion’s photoshoot’ from last year’s Australian Open. The Japanese star recalled spending 20 minutes looking for new shoes and those who were present at the photoshoot now refer to it as the ‘shoe incident’.
A 13-year-old aspiring tennis player told Naomi Osaka that he had won just a single tournament thus far and asked for some advice. Osaka replied by pointing out that she didn’t win any tournament as a child and emphasized that winning isn’t important as long as one enjoys playing the sport.
“Tennis put me in the position to be able to light the Olympic torch in Tokyo” - Naomi Osaka
During the Q&A, Naomi Osaka was asked to talk about her biggest tennis accomplishment thus far. In reply, she expressed her gratitude for having had the opportunity to take part in the Olympic torch relay at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The four-time Grand Slam champion became the first tennis player in history to be given the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Seeded 13th, Osaka is slated to take on Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open tomorrow.
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