Nick Kyrgios gives Naomi Osaka serving tips ahead of Brisbane return and Australian Open - 'She didn’t need much help!'
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Updated 04/12/2023 at 20:03 GMT
Naomi Osaka is set to return to the tour in January after giving birth this year. The former world No. 1 has been training ahead of travelling to Australia and has spent some time with Nick Kyrgios. A social media video shows Kyrgios giving Osaka serving tips, and he has also sent a message of support to Osaka. It is not known if Kyrgios will play the 2024 Australian Open.
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Nick Kyrgios has been playing his part in helping Naomi Osaka’s comeback bid by providing her with serving tips.
Osaka is set to make her return to the tour at the Brisbane International in January.
The four-time Grand Slam champion gave birth to daughter Shai this year and hasn’t played competitively since September 2022.
As she steps up her return, she has been having some practice sessions with former Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios.
In a social media video shared by Osaka’s management company Evolve, Kyrgios is seen giving Osaka some advice on how to “serve way better” by landing further inside the court. The pair are also in a picture together with the caption “Icons Only”.
Both Kyrgios and Osaka commented on the video.
"Serve tips lol," wrote Osaka, while Kyrgios said: “She didn’t need much help”.
Kyrgios also followed up with a message of support for Osaka.
"The best part of journey is realising that we can all learn something from someone,” he said.
“Will be following and supporting your comeback Naomi Osaka!! Happy to help anytime. The whole Kyrgios team is behind you.”
Kyrgios was the first athlete to sign up with Osaka’s company Evolve in 2022 and has previously expressed his admiration for the former world No. 1.
“I love what she brings to the sport,” he said last year.
“I think she’s an amazing athlete. She can play some great tennis, but what she can do off the court is even more inspirational. She has so many people looking up to her. She inspires millions of people and I think that’s something that I bring, as well.”
While Osaka is set to return to the tour in January, it is unclear when Kyrgios will be back on court.
He only played one match in 2023 due to injury and is not confirmed for any events in his home country next month.
Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley has said he expects Kyrgios will be around in “some form” at the Grand Slam.
"The update is day-by-day with him," he said.
"He'll be best to assess that…we're going to have Nick here in some form or another in January.
“Hopefully, it is to play because he's a crowd-pleaser. We love watching Nick and love having him around."
Kyrgios said in early November that it was still too early to say whether he would be able to compete at the Australian Open, where his best singles result is making the quarter-finals in 2015.
"There's still a lot of work to do," he told Wide World of Sports.
"I had some more setbacks after my knee coming back the first time. It was just not where I wanted to be and it was still causing me a lot of pain.
"I've been around the world with my rehab, seen some people that I hadn't seen previously for my knee and getting different opinions.
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Nick Kyrgios (l.) und Novak Djokovic (r.) nach dem Wimbledon-Finale 2023
Image credit: Getty Images
"Obviously parts of other parts of my body were starting to feel sore and I was getting a couple of niggles here or there as well. My right wrist type of thing just because I was compensating.
"From where I was prior to the surgery to now is a big improvement so I guess that's all I can kind of focus on at the moment. Just being really diligent with rehab.
"It's quite a serious surgery where I just need to take my time. I need to be a bit patient. Just patience was the keyword really. Just being able to trust in the process of; OK, your left knee is not gonna feel brand new, but it's still more than capable of holding up in the Wimbledons and the Australian Opens.
"I just need to trust that and get it to a point where I feel confident again, just confidence in the body is a big thing."
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