"Made me sit down": Naomi Osaka on teaming up with Nick Kyrgios at upcoming US Open mixed madness alongside youngsters Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, others
Naomi Osaka will be teaming up with Nick Kyrgios for 'The US Open Mixed Madness' which will take place before this year's US Open. The tournament will also include duos like Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, and Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Fritz.
The US Open Fan Week, which happens before the Grand Slam, features free events for tennis fans, usually at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. A special mixed doubles contest called 'The US Open Mixed Madness' will be a new edition to the event. Presented by IHG Hotels and Resorts,,the event is scheduled for August 20 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Following the update, Naomi Osaka shared the poster of the event in her Instagram story. The 4 time Grand Slam Champion hilariously reacted to teaming up with Nick Kyrgios as she was surprised that they were the veterans among a group of younger opponents.
"The fact that we're the veterans in this group just made me sit down in silence." Naomi Osaka wrote in her story.
After exiting the French Open in the second round, Osaka started her grass season at the Libema Open and reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual runner-up Bianca Andreescu. She followed this up with a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 loss to Zheng Qinwen in the first round of the ecotrans Ladies Open.
Nick Kyrgios on the other hand, is still looking to return having played just one match since 2022 owing to a wrist injury.
"My brother from a different universe" - Naomi Osaka expressed her affinity towards Nick Kyrgios
Osaka sat in on an interview in the Hana Kuma's podcast Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios a few months ago. During the conversation, the Japanese expressed a sense of kinship with Nick Kyrgios, whom she considers a "brother from a different universe."
"I've seen you on TV and around the scene and stuff... and I've always thought to myself, like, 'That's like my brother from a different universe,' you know? Because there's not a lot of melanated folks in tennis? So, I just kind of feel an alliance, sometimes?" Osaka said.
Naomi Osaka founded Hana Kuma, a media production company in collaboration with LeBron James' SpringHill Company in 2022. Hana Kuma focuses on producing culturally rich content, including documentaries and scripted series, highlighting voices and stories from underrepresented communities.