Naomi Osaka during a press conference at the 2024 Australian Open
Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has recently reacted to a fan donning her latest Nike shoes. The video posted on Instagram won instant appreciation from Osaka, who announced her comeback to the WTA Tour earlier this month.
Brands engaged in a race to win over Osaka after she started winning Grand Slam tournaments. The Japanese star, who has four Majors in her kitty, signed a contract with Nike in 2019 and the shoes that come with a retail price tag of $160 for a pair are a tribute to the star’s Haitian heritage.
At the peak of her career, she had two dozen endorsement partners, which are leading brands in the world. Nike’s deal with Osaka, which they won after a bidding war with rival Adidas, runs through 2025.
On November 22, one fan of Naomi Osaka shared the experience of playing tennis while wearing her idol’s favorite shoes. The shoes in the scenario are Nike Court Air Zoom GP Turbo. The pair come in a sleek and stylish design with an upper layer made of synthetic leather and mesh.
https://www.instagram.com/tifanisage/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=fa4c6a6b-7c5a-4e72-87e1-dcf66164c0a1
The former World No. 1 has now taken to her Instagram stories to share her reaction to the incident, writing:
“Okay serve.”
Naomi Osaka set to make a comeback at Brisbane International
Naomi Osaka is set to make her comeback at the Brisbane International, which will be held between December 31 and January 7. She is returning to tennis after a prolonged maternity leave as she gave birth to her daughter Shai earlier this year.
The Japanese will be back in action as an unranked player at the WTA 500 event, which serves as a warm-up to the Australian Open, which Osaka won in 2019 and 2021.
She told the WTA about her comeback:
“I am really excited about getting back out on court and competing. I always love starting my season in Brisbane and can’t wait to return. The Brisbane International is such a great tournament and will set me up for a brilliant comeback this summer.”
This will mark the 26-year-old’s fourth appearance at the Brisbane International. Her best performance at the tournament was reaching the semifinals in 2019 and 2020.
