Osaka on Emulating Kyrgios Serve

Naomi Osaka owns some of the imposing serves in tennis.

Now, Osaka is working to make her seismic serve rock more durable thanks to a different damaging server: Nick Kyrgios.

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Former world No. 1 Osaka and Kyrgios, who’re pals and Yonex ambassadors, shared the court docket in LA for successful earlier this month.

Osaka got here away from the expertise impressed by the Australian Open doubles champion’s platform stance on serve and has been working to emulate Kyrgios’ footwork in an effort for extra explosiveness.

“I’ve been engaged on my serve rather a lot with Wim, as a result of apparently earlier than I did not put my two toes collectively, so he is been telling me to be like very balanced and put my two toes collectively,” Osaka instructed the media in Miami after her opening-round win over Angelique Kerber. “And I hit with Nick in LA, and I used to be watching his like type from very shut up, and he does like this slide factor after which he places his two toes collectively and helps him explode extra.

“I’ve been actually specializing in that a part of my approach. I believe it is figuring out fairly effectively, as a result of I believe I’ve a greater rhythm now than I did earlier than, particularly like with the wind and stuff.”

Earlier this month, Kyrgios posted this Instagram video of his hitting session with Osaka captioned “Fast LA session with @naomiosaka 🥶🎒 Analysing my serve to search out any small element…

“Her starvation to be taught was fairly epic to see from a champ like her.”

Osaka mentioned she’s happy together with her serving progress and is striving to “be unbreakable.”

“I believe it is going effectively,” Osaka mentioned. “I am additionally engaged on my second serve, so hopefully I’ll get the miles per hour up, after which I might be unbreakable or I am going to attempt my finest to be.”

Photograph credit score: Australian Open Fb