Naomi Osaka knows how to learn from the best! The Japanese tennis player has made it a point to emulate Serena Williams ever since she first entered the tennis world. However, it looks like she has identified a new idol. Recently, the 25-year-old former world No.1 shared a totally different GOAT outlook, bringing in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Maria Sharapova while snubbing the Swiss legend, Roger Federer.

Along with that, she also disclosed her love for some of the greatest players the sport has seen, shocking the whole tennis world with her preference. How did the four-time Grand Slam champion shock the tennis world while listing some of her favorite tennis players? Let’s take a look.

Naomi Osaka puts Novak Djokovic above Serena Williams and Roger Federer

Osaka is out of the tennis circuit right now as she became a new mother a few months ago. But she is now ready to make a comeback at next year’s Australian Open. While she has started working on her tennis comeback, she talked about her admiration for her tennis idols Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Maria Sharapova. Surprisingly, she kept the 41-year-old Swiss legend out of the discussion.

In a question-and-answer question on Instagram, the 25-year-old was asked about her favorite tennis player. She wrote, “Honestly as I grew up I really learned to appreciate Novak a lot more. Purely as a tennis player, this man is unbelievable, lol. Everyone knows I love Serena and I appreciated how focused Nadal and Sharapova were every match too. I don’t have a favorite though. I like qualities from a bunch of different players.” 

It won’t be wrong to say that Djokovic’s dedication to this sport has made it worth it to climb the ladder.

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The same story also goes the other way around; there was a time when even the Serb was quite impressed with the Japanese tennis star.

When Osaka’s bravery impressed Djokovic 

Back in 2021, Djokovic saluted Osaka’s brave move to withdraw from the French Open while trying to deal with a mental health issue. While he congratulated her on becoming the 2021 Australian Open champion, during the French Open, he supported her and addressed the fact that she made a bold decision to handle the right thing. In addition, the 36-year-old tennis star mentioned how he respected her decision to take her time to recharge herself.

Subsequently, after being away from the sport for almost 2 years, Osaka is ready to get back on the Tour. Can she rediscover her form after going through the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth? Only time will tell.

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