Naomi Osaka Reveals How Her Boyfriend Cheered Her When She Was Feeling "Sad And Lonely"

Naomi Osaka boyfriend: Japan's world number two Naomi Osaka shared an "appreciation post" for her boyfriend, rapper Cordae on Instagram. On Thursday, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion wrote a heartwarming thank you note to him and shared a throwback photo of the pair from the 2020 US Open Women's Singles final in September. "Appreciation post for the mister because I feel like it today," wrote Osaka, who won the first Grand Slam title of 2021 last month when she beat Jennifer Brady of the USA in the Australian Open final.

Osaka recounted the day when Cordae "stopped everything he was doing" just so he could be there for her match last year because "I FaceTimed him a couple days earlier and said I was feeling sad and lonely in the bubble."

I later found out that he hopped on a plane shortly after that call and then quarantined himself for a couple days in a hotel to see me and support.

The 23-year-old tennis star revealed that when he came cheering for her at the 2019 US Open that was his "first tennis match ever." Osaka then jokingly added, "The funniest part is even after doing all this I’m still convinced he doesn’t understand the rules of tennis lol." The rapper also admitted that tennis is "not my sport.

"If you asked me about tennis, before being immersed in it because of Naomi, I could only give you Venus and Serena Williams, you know? Because they're just a part of the culture,” he said. “It’s not my sport.”

In 2019, Osaka became Japan’s first Grand Slam singles champion – man or woman – after defeating her idol, Serena Williams, at the US Open final. She also went toe-to-toe with the 23-time Grand Slam champion and defeated her in the 2018 US Open final.

Osaka and Cordae have been together for two years now.

Meanwhile, Osaka has withdrawn from next month's WTA clay-court tournament in Stuttgart. She is currently gearing up for the Miami Open campaign.

Feature Image Credit: Naomi Osaka/Instagram