In one of the rarest honors given to any athlete, Naomi Osaka became the first tennis player to be given the opportunity of carrying the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

Despite the off-court troubles the youngster has been facing over the past few months, the gesture would bring a lot of positivity to her game at a very important juncture.

Watch this story: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Winning Medals of Glory at Olympic Games

“Currently filled with gratefulness” – Naomi Osaka after carrying the Olympic Torch at Tokyo

Osaka was supposed to play her first-match tomorrow on the Center court. On account of her act at the opening ceremony, that matchup got postponed to Sunday.

The four-time grand slam champion expressed her gratitude on being given the honor in Tokyo.

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“Undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and honor I will ever have in my life. I have no words to describe the feelings I have right now but I do know I am currently filled with gratefulness and thankfulness love you guys thank you”, Osaka tweeted. 

Along with dozens of supportive reactions from fans and tennis stars alike, Osaka’s coach Wim Fissette also expressed his happiness over this honor given to the Japanese player.

“Very special and unique moment with Naomi Osaka and the Olympic torch”, Fissette wrote on Instagram.

Evidently, Osaka had a rough couple of months since the French Open fiasco, where she decided to skip post-match press conferences. This decision spun a wide web of assumptions surrounding her and she became an easy target for fans and critics alike.

But, the honor given to Osaka at Tokyo Olympics might dial down the harsh criticisms coming her way. This also could turn out to be a motivating factor for the Japanese player to perform well at the Olympics.

Osaka hasn’t played a tour-level match since the opening round at Roland Garros. The lack of match practice will definitely be a haunting issue for Osaka to face and overcome. She will face a tricky opponent Saisai Zhung in the opening round.

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