The Japanese tennis star, Naomi Osaka, tasted success from a very young age on the WTA tour, clinching 4 singles Grand Slam titles. However, the former world no.1 has been struggling on the WTA Tour of late, especially in the 2022 season. Considering her recent underwhelming season, Osaka’s agent has made a surprising revelation about her struggles early in her career. Stuart Duguid revealed that Osaka once needed the support of a legend from another sport to motivate her when she was going through a bad phase.

However, Duguid also revealed that Osaka was quite shy when they dropped her at the legendary player’s office.

Naomi Osaka was shy when she met the LA Lakers legend

The Japanese tennis player’s agent Stuart Duguid was recently featured in an exclusive interview with Boardroom where he talked about Kobe Bryant‘s journey and the NBA legend’s impact on various young athletes, including Naomi Osaka. In doing so, Duguid revealed that it was Bryant who motivated Osaka when she was struggling with her form on the tour. They further arranged a meeting with Bryant in his office in Orange County.

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However, the agent also stated that the 4-time singles Grand Slam champion was quite shy and nervous when they reached his office. Prior to reaching Bryant’s office, Duguid didn’t reveal to Osaka that it was a one-on-one meeting. Duguid and his wife waited for the Japanese tennis star in the parking lot, and the ten-minute pep talk turned out to be the “most fascinating hour and a half” of Osaka’s journey.

READ MORE- Naomi Osaka Shares the Advice From Kobe Bryant Which She Didn’t Follow While Handling Media Attention

Duguid revealed that the former Australian Open champion and Bryant became very close after their meeting. He went on to say, “He had a big impact on her and was such a generous individual with time and [demonstrated such a] willingness to help. He’d text her back in like five minutes; he was so awesome.”

Osaka previously talked about Bryant in her documentary film

The popular documentary film, “Naomi Osaka,” depicting the journey of the 4-time singles Grand Slam champion was previously released on Netflix. During the second episode of the documentary, Osaka talked about how much she admired the NBA great.

The Japanese tennis star also stated that she felt like she has let down her idol. Osaka went on to reveal the reason by saying that she wanted to carry Bryant’s legacy on the tennis court. Despite enduring a tough 2022 season, the former world no.1 is looking forward to a successful campaign in the upcoming season.

Can she regain her form and look to win her fifth Grand Slam title in 2023?

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