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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka is one of the most successful players in the current lot. The 23-year-old athlete certainly stands out from the current crop of players and is known by celebrities from various fields of entertainment. As of today, she is considered one of the most marketable athletes in the world. 

Recently, Naomi Osaka’s name was mentioned in the song ‘Slow Clap’, sung by famous American pop star, Gwen Stefani. The Californian-born has won three Grammy Awards in her career and has been in the business for close to two decades. In this song, she has collaborated with American rapper Saweetie. 

USA Today via Reuters

Naomi Osaka’s serve is highlighted in ‘Slow Clap’

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During the song, Naomi gets mentioned for her ability to serve aces. The line goes, “Servin’ aces like Naomi.” The Japanese players serve is one of her most reliable weapons. Stefani stated that she wrote this song for all the underdogs in the world, including herself. The song was released worldwide on the 11th of March 2021.

Coming to tennis, Osaka began the season at the exhibition event in Adelaide ‘A Day at the Drive’. During that event, she lost to American veteran Serena Williams. Later, she competed at the WTA Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne. After winning her initial matches, she withdrew before the semifinal match.

After that, Naomi featured at the Australian Open and went on to lift her second Grand Slam title in Melbourne. During the tournament, she beat her idol, Serena, exacting revenge for the loss she had suffered a few weeks earlier in Adelaide.

USA Today via Reuters

Naomi Osaka’s 23-match winning streak ended in Miami

Later, the Japanese player competed at the Miami Open. However, she lost to Greek tennis professional Maria Sakkari, which resulted in her 23-match winning streak coming to an end.

At the moment, the focus has shifted for the players towards the clay-court tournaments. The first WTA 1000 event is scheduled to take place in Madrid later in May. After that, players will head towards Italy for the tournament in Rome. Following that, the season’s second Grand Slam event will take place at Roland Garros in Paris.

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Considering Naomi has not faired relatively well on the clay courts, it will be interesting to see how she fairs this year considering she is in top form.

Also Read: Naomi Osaka Credits Japanese Culture for Her ‘Manners, Cleanliness, and Sense of Style’

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