Naomi Osaka tries her hand at new sport, does emoji dance in an episode of Nike Playlist
Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka recently featured in an episode of Nike Playlist, which is hosted by American snowboarder Chloe Kim.
The episode started with Kim spinning the wheel and it landed on "The Switch". Here, Osaka had to play another sport and she opted for basketball. The 24-year-old took a few shots towards the basket and found the target on a number of occasions.
Next up was The Replay, in which Osaka danced, imitating a number of emojis.
You can watch the video here:
Osaka started 2021 in stupendous fashion, having won her second Australian Open title by beating Jennifer Brady in the final. This was the fourth Grand Slam of her career so far.
The Japanese reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open but since then, things began to go downhill for her as she did not seem to be in the right frame of mind.
Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing mental health issues, receiving praise for spreading awareness regarding the same.
She did not participate in the Wimbledon Championships, but competed at the Tokyo Olympics. In the latter Osaka became the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron.
However, that would go on to be her best moment of the event as she was eliminated in the third round by eventual silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova.
Following another disappointment at the US Open, the 24-year-old announced her hiatus from the game.
What has Osaka been up to these days?
The former World No. 1 went on a vacation to Greece and Italy a few weeks back before attending a BTS concert in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Osaka was recently inducted into the Forbes Under 30 Hall of Fame, one of only two sportspeople in a list full of elite names.
Despite the Japanese having just one big moment in 2021 and her ranking falling to 13th, she has been nominated for this year's WTA Player of the Year award.
Osaka is yet to make any announcement as to when she will return to the court. However, with the Australian Open less than a month away, she should confirm her stance on participation soon enough.