Naomi Osaka once said Nick Kyrgios is “Like my brother from a different universe.” Tese tennis stars get along very well because there are a lot of connecting dots between them if we take a look at their lives on and off the court. We’ll look at all of them one by one, but first, let’s know why they have yet again come up in the headlines.

Well, for those who are unaware, the two best friends are all set to take part in a unique mixed doubles competition, ‘The US Open Mixed Madness’ in just a few hours from now. Osaka is a bit surprised to know that they will be the oldest doubles team at this exhibition event, with a combined age of 55. Kyrgios wanted to team up with Osaka in Wimbledon this year, but that didn’t happen. Fans are now excited to finally see them in action yet again, but before that let’s take a look at how their friendship started.

Do you know Kyrgios was the first-ever client of EVOLVE, the sports agency that was co-founded by  Osaka and Stuart David? Speaking about the involvement of Kyrgios with EVOLVE, Osaka once said, Kyrgios has got an “unmatched style“. His passion and personality are what make him so special in the tennis world. The Australian on the other hand, revealed, “When I learned that Stuart and Naomi were starting an agency focused on supporting athletes like me, it made complete sense to join.”

Their similar interests in developing the racquet sport are what makes their bond pretty strong. Kyrgios is a big admirer of Osaka. Although he feels that they manage their stresses differently, there are some common things between them. For instance, he once said, “I resonate with some of the things you’ve done in the sport.“

According to Kyrgios, Osaka is not only an amazing athlete but off-the-court she is even more inspirational. “She inspires millions of people and I think that something I bring, as well.” There have been many similar incidents when these two friends stood beside each other in their needs. Earlier this year, Kyrgios teamed up with Osaka’s media company Hana Kuma to launch the ‘Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios’ video podcast series. Let’s take a look at some more instances when the fans spotted them helping each other out in times of need.

Nick Kyrgios reveals the profound impact of Naomi Osaka in his life

In December last year, we saw Kyrgios helping out Osaka to prepare for her long-awaited comeback. He gave her some tips to improve her serve. During that time, the Aussie tennis star penned down a short message for her friend showcasing his full support in her comeback journey. He wrote, “The best part of the journey is realizing that we can all learn something from someone. Will be following and supporting your comeback Naomi Osaka!! Happy to help anytime. The whole Kyrgios team is behind you.“

Then later on, Kyrgios revealed how Osaka had once helped him deal with his mental health issues. Both Osaka and Kyrgios were always vocal about this issue. The Japanese tennis star, in fact, withdrew her name from the 2021 French Open due to her mental health issues. After seeing this Kyrgios was like, “‘Holy sh*t, someone’s actually doing it. Wow.’ Because I was going through that for ages before she did it.” He later on also thanked Osaka saying, “You helped me because maybe if I kept going, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

So, knowingly or unknowingly, we can see how both of them stood like the strongest pillars of support in each other’s lives. So, we can truly say they share one of the strongest bonds in the tennis world at the moment!