As the US Open announced a controversial new format for the mixed doubles format from this year, many top players have joined forces to feature there. Among them are the likes of Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka, who will team up to test their mettle against a number of new pairings. With the format now allowing stars to enter based on their singles ranking in addition to the eight teams selected by the organizers, players like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu will also be seen in action, apart from Kyrgios and Osaka. However, as soon as one Japanese-Australian pair announced their partnership, a bizarre stat dropped about them, leading to a sharp reaction from Kyrgios.

Hours ago, a fan shared a snapshot of the US Open mixed doubles teams based on the number of words spoken with each other. While the power couple, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, made it to the top of that list, Kyrgios and Osaka found themselves in the bottom half at the 11th spot. This didn’t go down well with Kyrgios, who opposed the stat, saying, “Naomi and I have spoken heaps lol what.”

When Kyrgios was still active on the tour, he even practiced with Osaka on a few occasions. Moreover, on one occasion, Osaka even said that Kyrgios was like his brother from a different universe. Interestingly, the two also have a business partnership as the Australian star was one of the very first clients of EVOLVE, the sports agency that was co-founded by Osaka with Stuart David. Talking about this partnership, Kyrgios stated, “When I learned that Stuart and Naomi were starting an agency focused on supporting athletes like me, it made complete sense to join.”

Thus, it was a surprise to see Kyrgios and Osaka rank this lower when it came to the words spoken with their mixed doubles partner. Other notable pairs to rank lower than them were Alcaraz and Raducanu, Rybakina and Fritz, and Navarro and Sinner. This controversy kept aside, Kyrgios has often spoken about the impact that Osaka had on his life and career.

Nick Kyrgios can’t stop praising Osaka

Back in December 2023, Osaka was preparing to make a comeback on the tour after giving birth to her first child. She hadn’t played tennis for months and was an uphill task for her to return to competitive tennis. On that occasion, Kyrgios stood by her side and the two trained together. Sharing a cordial bond, Kyrgios couldn’t stop talking about Osaka’s impact on him.

After their training session, Kyrgios revealed, “The best part of the journey is realizing that we can all learn something from someone. Will be following and supporting your comeback Naomi Osaka!! Happy to help anytime. The whole Kyrgios team is behind you.“

Moreover, Kyrgios was also in support of Osaka after her controversial 2021 French Open withdrawal. The two have shared a long-standing bond and know their game inside and out. Thus, it’ll be no surprise to see them thrive together in mixed doubles at the US Open later this year.