Talent, hard work, and dedication—three things every sport demands. Whether it’s basketball or tennis, the two often find ways to inspire each other. Just ask 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who stunned World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the Indian Wells title. Her secret weapon? A speech from one of basketball’s greatest, LeBron James. Andreeva thanked James for his wisdom. But the NBA legend was quick to pass the credit right back. “Happy to have helped, but honestly YOU did THAT!” he responded. While both sports demand mental toughness, what about the other aspects? Naomi Osaka has an answer for that.

Naomi Osaka, who is working her way back to top form, pulled off a comeback win against Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva at the Miami Open. She fought from a set down to claim a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory—her first since the Australian Open in January.

After the match, the Tennis Channel asked if basketball players had the skills to transition to tennis. The Japanese tennis star replied, “Everyone’s athletic and maybe hand-eye coordination. That’s probably the only thing I can think of. And they’re good at like stopping and starting.”

The conversation also turned to her past tennis session with NBA player Rui Hachimura. The two Japanese stars had met on the court in 2023, and Osaka later posted a clip of their session. “Lil bro really thought he had it,” she joked, adding a string of laughing emojis. Safe to say, she had the upper hand.

But the 27-year-old’s basketball connection doesn’t end there. In 2022, she teamed up with LeBron James’ media company to tell stories that break cultural barriers. And she was even at the forefront to honor one of the biggest legends of basketball. At the 2024 US Open Mixed Madness event, both Osaka and Nick Kyrgios paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. They stepped onto the court wearing his iconic Los Angeles Lakers jerseys, a nod to one of basketball’s most influential figures.

Kyrgios, of course, has never hidden his love for basketball. In 2015, he dropped a bombshell and revealed to The Independant, “I don’t really like the sport of tennis that much. I don’t love it. It was crazy when I was 14. I was all for basketball and I made the decision to play tennis. I got pushed by my parents and to this day I can still say I don’t love the sport.”

Osaka, however, has a different story. While she enjoys mingling with basketball stars, she has always been clear about her “deep love” for tennis. That love keeps pulling her back to the court, no matter how tough the road gets. And now the 4-time Grand Slam champion is yearning to go back to her glory days.

Naomi Osaka admits to wanting to take the fight to the “big dogs”

Naomi Osaka’s journey hasn’t been smooth; she is still finding her rhythm after a 15-month break from tennis. She stepped away for mental health reasons and later welcomed her daughter, Shai, in 2023. The comeback has been filled with ups and downs. Earlier this year, she reached the Auckland final—her first since 2022—but had to withdraw due to an abdominal injury – something she carried with her to the Australian Open as well, as she retired in her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.

Moreover, her victory over Starodubtseva came after what she called the “worst match” of her career at Indian Wells. She fell 6-4, 6-4 to Camila Osorio, a loss that left her shaken.

After her first-round win in Miami,in her post-match press conference, she revealed, “Definitely it was a little bit of a let down to be injured right at the start of the season, especially when I thought I was playing pretty well.” The Japanese tennis star further revealed her desire to move forward and said, “I just want to play with the big dogs so bad. I just see everyone playing so well, and I want to do the same. But I have to remember it’s a process.”

Now, she’s pushing forward. Her next challenge? No. 24 seed Liudmila Samsonova, who advanced to the second round after a bye. Can Naomi Osaka keep the momentum going and take down another opponent?