“This Is What Heaven Is”: Naomi Osaka Opens up About Beyonce

Published 01/05/2020, 3:07 PM EST

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Does the rising tennis sensation Naomi Osaka know how music legend Beyonce smell like? The Japanese star reflects on her dream come true after meeting Beyonce during the off-season.

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Osaka ended her 2019 season prematurely before the WTA Finals due to a shoulder injury. An extended break meant Osaka got to take a trip to the Caribbean – her first real vacation. The 2-time Grand Slam champion had an event-filled time in the island as she also got the chance to meet her music idol Beyonce and Jay Z.

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“She was proud of me”: Naomi Osaka

Beyonce’s message also helped Osaka feel positive about herself as she readies herself for the 2020 WTA Tour.

“I met Beyonce and Jay Z during the off-season. She just smelled expensive and beautiful and she was soft and she hugged me,” the 22-year-old told reporters laughingly at WTA All-Access Hour in Brisbane. “I was like, this is what heaven is.”

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Osaka further added: “She was talking to me and she said she was proud of me. I thought, wow, that actually was a really important moment.  I felt really depressed after I lost my match. But I’m thinking about the impact that tennis players – I don’t think we know. I don’t think we’re aware of all the good that we can do.”

Osaka to commence her season in Brisbane

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Naomi Osaka is set to kick off her 2020 season this week at the Brisbane International. The Japanese star hired a new coach Wim Fissette to get a new perspective to the game and feels fully refreshed to start her campaign in Australia. She is set to play her first-round match against Maria Sakkari on Monday.

Osaka held the No.1 ranking at the end of last January and finished 2019 at No.3 as she pulled out of the WTA Finals due to a shoulder injury. She clinched two consecutive major titles at the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open 2019.

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Who is Naomi Osaka’s Boyfriend YBN Cordae?

With the Australian Open 2020 set to start on January 20, Osaka will be aiming to defend her title successfully. It will be interesting to see how Naomi will perform after a refreshing year-end.

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Written by:

Varun Khanna

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One take at a time

Starting off as a tennis author in 2018, Varun Khanna has gone on to contribute to EssentiallySports in various capacities. After setting up interviews with the likes of Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Alizé Cornet, and Noah Rubin, Varun is now part of all major ATP and WTA press conferences and has gone on to pen more than 1300 articles for EssentiallySports. He now heads the tennis and NBA division of the organization.
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