A mischievous revelation from four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka has sent the tennis world into a spin after she revealed she would be entering the mixed doubles draw at Wimbledon but refused to say who she’d be partnering.
And the name on just about everyone’s lips is Nick Kyrgios after the Aussie gave an open invite to the Japanese megastar to play mixed doubles with him when they practiced together earlier this year.
Osaka teased the press with the news after losing her second round singles match at the Madrid Open on Tuesday (AEST).
“I have been really trying to focus on my net game, because I’m going to play mixed doubles in Wimbledon. I know, shocking, right?” a smiling Osaka said in her press conference.
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“I’m shocked too. Your eyes got super big. I really don’t want to disappoint the person I’m playing with because whenever I play doubles I always say, ‘Sorry, I’m going to try not be a liability’.”
Osaka was then asked directly who she was pairing up with but decided to keep the public guessing.
“If this person sees it and they want to respond, they can do that, but I don’t know. Isn’t it more fun to kind of see it when it’s around the time? I’m pretty sure if you wanted to guess you could guess who it is.”
The obvious guess on who Osaka’s partner might be is Kyrgios.
After Osaka in March was spotted in an Instagram video posted by Kyrgios sitting courtside as the Australian honed his serve, she was immediately queried on whether she would team up with him.
“If he wants to attempt to carry us, I’ll consider it,” Osaka said at the time.
“But I haven’t played doubles in years and I’m not quite great at it.
“I know he just won the Australian Open doubles title.
“Yeah, if he wants to do everything …”
Kyrgios, who recently won the Australian Open men’s doubles title with fellow countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis, is no stranger to playing mixed doubles with the WTA’s biggest stars.
During last year’s Wimbledon, he suited up alongside Venus Williams.
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