"She reminds me of somebody like me, but even better" – Monica Seles opens up on her admiration of Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka charmed the tennis world by becoming the first Asian player to rise to the top of the WTA rankings before going on to win four Grand Slam titles.
Over the course of a chat with Chris Evert, former World No.1 Monica Seles revealed that Osaka's playing style was reminiscent of her own before adding that the two-time US Open champion is even better than she was.
While maintaining that the Japanese player needed to strike the ball harder, Seles asserted that she was amazed by the way Osaka moved.
"Of the younger generation, Naomi Osaka, because she reminds me of somebody like me, but even better. She needs to strike that ball, first, bam bam! I am amazed though at how well she moves, just wow," said the nine-time Grand Slam champion on WTA's One-on-One With Chris Evert.
Ashleigh Barty is also on the list of Seles' favorites, who stated that she liked the Aussie player's creativity and the manner in which she mixed up her shots.
When asked which players of the current generation she enjoyed watching the most, Seles disclosed that she loved watching aggressive players.
"I love players who are aggressive. I always enjoy watching players like that. Growing up, I wish I had played more aggressively, in terms of coming to the net. I love a player like (Ashleigh) Barty who will mix it up and is always thinking and being creative," she added.
Naomi Osaka celebrates Japan's entry into FIFA World Cup knockouts
Naomi Osaka, who has been following the ongoing FIFA World Cup closely, was understandably thrilled as the Japanese team got past the group stage with a historic 2-1 win against Spain.
While the football fraternity continued to deliberate on Japan's controversial winner after the ball appeared to have gone out of play before being passed into the box for the eventual goal, Japanese fans began their celebrations.
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Osaka posted an anime edit of the Japanese football team after the side made it to the round of 16.
The 25-year-old recently highlighted the manner in which Japanese fans cleaned the stadium after their epic 2-1 win against four-time champions Germany, who were eliminated from the competition following the Asian side's victory over Spain.
Following a disappointing season, the player, who has been battling mental health issues since last year's French Open, will be looking to get back to winning ways at the 2023 Australian Open.