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Naomi Osaka is one of those who prefers to balance the dynamics of their personal and professional life. She never completely drowns herself in tennis. Osaka believes in giving a break to both her body and brain from time to time.

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Recently the four times Grand Slam champion tested her skills on the hard courts of the Japan Open and earned herself a little break. She cashed the same to attend a Mikuru Asakura match. However, her fortune had a bigger surprise planned for her.

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Naomi Osaka meets Manny Pacquiao

After withdrawing from the home-based WTA 500 event because of abdominal illness, Osaka decided to gift herself a ticket to a boxing match. She reserved a seat for Floyd Mayweather versus Japanese MMA star Mikuru Asakura fight, and co-incidentally she met Manny Pacquiao.

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The legendary boxer nicknamed PacMan was also delighted to see the tennis ace and spoke about his favorite tournament. He said, “That’s my dream to watch a Wimbledon.”

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“I always watch it in TV live. But it gonna be like three o’clock in the morning,” he added. When asked if Osaka has ever watched the retired legend’s fights ever, she responded, “Yeah, on TV.”

Read more: ‘Can’t Please Everyone’- Naomi Osaka’s Unapologetic Statement About Her Fashion Sense After an Early US Open Exit

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Thereafter, she admitted to being a boxing fan. “Yeah, this is my second time,” the two times Australian Open winner said, nodding her head. Speaking of the fight, the 45-year-old Mayweather, after an entertaining tussle, was awarded the win.

Osaka’s game this season

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The former world no.1 has had a rough year. Her run till the third round of the Australian Open is the best performance from her end in the Grand Slams of this season. She withdrew her name from Wimbledon and faced an opening-round defeat in both the French Open and the US Open.

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USA Today via Reuters

Further, the only peak in her performance graph came during the summer doubles. There following a disagreement with an analytical pick she made up to the Miami Open’s finals. Osaka fought for her first title this year in the hard courts of Miami.

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Watch this story: Fans slam Serena Williams’ ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou over his poorly structured tribute

The Japanese tennis star took down almost every opponent of hers in straight sets to book a finals match with Iga Swiatek. Swiatek, who then was on her way to creating 37 matches winning streak, outdid Osaka’s game and claimed a straight-set victory of 6-4 6-0.

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Written by

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Mahima Verma

1,034 Articles

Mahima Verma is a Tennis writer for EssentiallySports. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Management from IHM Mumbai. A sports enthusiast, particularly Tennis since her childhood, Mahima believes that she is fortunate enough to witness the legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams play. Mahima is also an artistic person who enjoys painting in her free time. When not engrossed in sports, one can also find her involved in gardening, a hobby she picked up from her father early in life.

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Pritam Priyedarshi

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