Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka is a huge admirer of Serena Williams. The 24-year-old has time and again hailed the former world number 1 as her inspiration. Now that Serena has decided to her hang her racket, Naomi Osaka is quite emotional regarding the farewell of her favorite tennis star.

The 4-time Grand Slam champion recently spoke about Serena’s impact on tennis. She also revealed how Williams inspired her to become a tennis player.

Serena inspired Naomi Osaka

Speaking about Serena Williams, Osaka praised her for inspiring many budding athletes to play the sport. She also accepted that her inspiration to pick up the racket came from Serena.

“Her legacy is really wide to the point where you can’t even describe it in words. Like she changed the sport so much. She’s introduced people that have never heard of tennis into the sport. I think I’m a product of what she’s done,” Osaka said. Further, she thanked Serena and her family. “I wouldn’t be here without Serena, Venus, her whole family. I’m like very thankful to her,” she added.

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The four-time Grand Slam champion also termed Serena, “the biggest force in the sport.”

Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka’s head-to-head record

Being one of the biggest Serena Williams admirers has never affected Osaka’s performance against her. Playing against her idol, the Japanese star has achieved significant success. If we have a look at their head-to-head record, the 24-year-old leads with a 3-1 scoreline.

The two squared off for the first time in the 2018 Miami Open. Osaka defeated Serena in straight sets to register her first win against the legend. Later that year, she claimed the US Open title after defeating Williams in the final. Serena came back and won her first match against Osaka in the quarterfinal of Rogers Cup in 2019.

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The last time these two came face to face was in the Australian Open 2021. Osaka defeated Serena to book her spot in the final. Eventually, she clinched the title after defeating Jennifer Brady, winning her fourth Grand Slam title. Now that Serena is playing in her last tournament, it will be interesting to see if the two meet up for one final time.