Naomi Osaka Says Only Bianca Andreescu Compares With Ashleigh Barty in Gameplay

The shocking news of the early retirement of World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty took everyone by surprise. Fans and athletes from around the world have been sharing their views on the same. Recently, Naomi Osaka talked about Barty after breezing into the second round of the Miami Open 2022.

The players had met each other last time in the China Open in Beijing. The players could have met again in the Australian Open 2022, but that did not happen as Naomi went out in the 3rd round.

Naomi Osaka on Ashleigh Barty’s retirement

Ashleigh Barty’s retirement has come as a shock to everyone. Barty was at the prime of her career at ‌25, retaining the World no. 1 position for 114 weeks.

READ MORE: ‘I’m Not Hiding Anything’ – Ashleigh Barty Admits She’s Got No Secrets Surrounding Her Sudden Retirement

During the press conference after the match, Naomi Osaka talked about Barty and shared memories of playing with her. She recalled that the last time she played Barty was in Beijing. She said, “It was such a fun match to play and for me, that’s the biggest memory I have, and just to play a match where it’s just pure tennis.”

Talking about the match, Osaka said, “We were both just trying our best and being as respectful as we could.” Naomi showed regret over not being able to play with Barty in the Australian Open 2022. She said, “I wish I won my last match in Australia so we could have played that round of 16.” 

Naomi’s admiration for Ashleigh

Osaka also complimented the friendly and flexible personality of the Australian player. In this regard, she mentioned, “It’s a bit rare to play people that adjust so well, and to me, the one who stands out is Ash and Bianca Andreescu.” The news of the Australian player retiring was quite morose for Naomi Osaka.

However, she has made her admiration clear for the player’s hard work and dedication to the game. Ashleigh Barty cited ‘physical and emotional burnout’ for her retirement.

WATCH THIS STORY: Will Smith Shows How King Richard Cast Trained Like Serena and Venus Williams

The player got heartfelt messages and tributes from famous tennis players like Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Simona Halep and Stefanos Tsitsipas, etc. Barty’s retirement news came as a shock to everyone, however, everyone praised the champion athlete and wished her well for her future.

How surprised were you to hear about Barty’s retirement? Let us know in the comments.