'I put wasabi & mayonnaise in my hair' - Stefanos Tsitsipas pranks Naomi Osaka
Even though players can't meet on the court at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are trying their best to catch up with each other virtually. Naomi Osaka is "exploring alternate career paths" by hosting Instagram Lives where she takes fun interviews of players, and her latest guest was Stefanos Tsitisipas.
The Greek sensation lit up the conversation with his quirky sense of humor, throwing in numerous self-deprecating jabs throughout. He even pulled a subtle prank on an unassuming Osaka, almost leading her to believe he had a crazy hair care routine.
Naomi Osaka, who recently became the world's highest-paid female athlete, was ready with a range of discussion topics ahead of the session with the World No. 6. She had held similar sessions with Frances Tiafoe and Gael Monfils, and now it was the turn of Stefanos Tsitsipas to face Osaka's interrogation.
The questions ranged from Tsitsipas's newly adopted dog, Ajla, to the Greek's 'spirit animal' and his progress with learning French. And much to the delight of the fans listening in, both Tsitsipas and Osaka had their humor game on point.
The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals Champion Tsitsipas revealed that he has gotten out of quarantine and has already started training, while Osaka rued how she is still in house arrest due to USA's continuing struggle with the virus. But overall the two NextGen stars really hit it off, with Tsitsipas in an entertaining mood and Osaka dealing out fun questions one after the other, for nearly 45 minutes.
“I’m so good at lying!" - Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tennis fans were in for a treat when halfway into the Live, an audience question popped up on the screen asking Tsitsipas what he does to maintain his unique hair style. That prompted Osaka to probe the 22-year-old further about his hair care routine, but she was completely unprepared for the answer.
Putting on a serious face, the man with the golden locks explained the entire 'process' that goes behind maintaining his great mane.
“I put Greek olive oil in my hair, then I add some wasabi in and some vinegar as well. It blends really well… Then I leave it in for about 25 or 30 minutes [and] go take a shower,” Tsitsipas said.
Osaka seemed a little skeptical at the idea of putting wasabi on your hair, and got increasingly more wide-eyed as Stefanos Tsitsipas maintained a straight face and carried on with full conviction.
Catching on to the gullibility of the two-time Grand Slam Champion, Tstisipas went on to include more ridiculous details, saying, “I definitely put mayonnaise in, that’s for sure. It’s like a one time per week thing.”
Osaka fell for the prank hook, line and sinker, and proceeded to ask Tsitsipas if the mixture smelled when he applied it. That's when Tsitsipas couldn't contain his chuckles anymore, and blurted out the truth.
“Did you actually believe me? I’m making things up!” Tsitsipas said in between peals of laughter.
Osaka gave a sheepish grin at having her gullibility being exposed so easily, but it was clear that she didn't mind the prank.
“I’m so good at lying! All my life I thought I was so bad at it, but now I suddenly got good at it,” Tsitsipas playfully added.