Nick Kyrgios stuns Grand Slam champion with Wimbledon move after BBC snub

Daily Mirror

8 hours ago

Naomi Osaka jokingly said Nick Kyrgios should come and sit with her team at Wimbledon and had no idea that the Australian had taken up her offer and watched her first round win
Naomi Osaka had no idea that Nick Kyrgios was in her box cheering her on in the first round of Wimbledon after jokingly inviting him - not expecting him to rock up.
The Australian, who made the final at SW19 back in 2022, is not in action but is in London and observed as the Japanese star won in straight sets. Osaka has won two Grand Slams in the past - two in the US and two in Australia - but has not reached those heights for years.
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She remains one of the tour's bubbliest personalities and begun her grass court effort impressively, winning 6-4, 7-6 against Talia Gibson. In the lead up to the contest Osaka joked that she'd like to have Kyrgios in her box cheering her on. He ended up accepting her offer, even if she had no idea he was there.
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Osaka said: "Oh, my God. I jokingly told someone, Hey, I know Nick's around, maybe he wants to come to my match. But I was joking, 'cause I know we're, like, two completely different players. Honestly, I would have loved to come to his matches, because I know he's pretty fun.
"Yeah, I think that's also a big part of why we're different is 'cause I know he kind of like tells his box what to do, and he probably would have noticed if I was in there. I kind of, like, zone out most of the time. That's a little embarrassing that he was there. I guess it is cool that he was there."
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Osaka will play mixed doubles with the Australian this summer and it was put to her that he was studying her game, but she played that down but insists she has always understood that way he carries himself.
She added: "No, I mean, I am really excited to play mixed doubles with him. I think he's obviously won a doubles tournament. Well, we've played last year. I think Fritz was being a little bit too serious on me. Yeah, I think it should be fun. I don't know. I feel like for me, I have always felt like I've always related to him in a weird way, even though we're completely different. I kind of understand some of the things that he does.
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"So yeah, I am glad that he came to my match. I hope in some way maybe he felt I wouldn't be bold enough to say 'inspired', but I hope he could relate a little bit to the things that I do, too."
Kyrgios been dropped for BBC's Wimbledon coverage this year amid huge backlash after he assaulted his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari. The Australian star worked as a pundit for the broadcaster during last year's tournament, a decision which caused outrage after he admitted assaulting Passari during an incident in 2021.
He is not playing in London after he was ruled out of the competition due to injury after suffering a "small setback" in his recovery.