Naomi Osaka has noticed a big change in tennis since she started playing, with Novak Djokovic having played a key role.
Osaka has endured injury issues of late, but the 28-year-old’s phenomenal career includes four Grand Slam titles.
She also climbed to number one in the WTA rankings, with fellow icon Djokovic achieving the same feat on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic boasts 24 Grand Slam titles overall, and according to Osaka has completely changed tennis for the better.
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Naomi Osaka praises Novak Djokovic’s approach towards fitness
Osaka has now shared insight into her beginnings in the sport, having been asked by Hypebeast if she started playing young.
“Yeah, I technically started playing tennis when I was three, and I think I turned pro when I was 16 or 17,” she replied.
And when asked how she has seen the game change since her early years, she said: “I view the game changing.
“Everyone’s been inspired by the Williams (Serena and Venus) sisters. Whether they say it or not, they’ve definitely changed the game a lot. And I think when I played, I was lucky enough to play both of them.
“Looking back, there’s a few players I looked up to who I wish I could have played against, like Li Na or [Elena] Dementieva. I also kind of liked the drama with [Jelena] Jankovic.
“As far as the players go, obviously everyone’s stronger and faster now, and I think people also just take the sport itself more seriously.
“In the times before us, I think some athletes could get away with doing certain things just because they were athletic enough.
“Now everyone’s figuring out their fitness level. I feel like that also has to do with Djokovic, to be honest.
“He’s kind of set a precedent on understanding your body and putting in work to do all the recovery.
“He’s amazing. He just went to the Australian Open finals and he’s still here fighting and winning.”
Naomi Osaka hopes to leave a lasting legacy when she retires
Djokovic has been leading by example as recently as this season, having just reached another Grand Slam final at the age of 38, which he lost to 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
But he has been careful with his schedule in recent times, playing only the Australian Open so far this season.
Osaka also played at the Grand Slam in Melbourne, but was forced to retire hurt before her third round match.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who had previously played at the United Cup, then opted to withdraw from the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships.
It’s been a frustrating 2026 for Osaka, who holds a 3-1 record for the season and is currently ranked 16th in the world.
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She will be desperate to get back on the court as soon as possible, although Osaka has been tasked with looking ahead to her long-term future.
When asked what she hopes her legacy will be, she said: “Yeah, honestly, it crossed my mind a lot maybe two years ago, and I think it’s because I just had my daughter.
“I would hope my legacy is that I’m someone who made it easier for the generation after. And also someone that made it easy for the people that are different or unique.
“For me, with my background being Japanese and Haitian and American, I’ve just always been considered different.
“And growing up, playing with the Japanese flag, but not looking fully Japanese, it just made me aware of being a little different from everyone else.
“I was always kind of OK with it and I realized that for some people, it’s tough to accept that. I realized there are always a few black sheep in the bunch and just hope that they know that it’s cool to be different and unique.
“Those are things that make you, you and it’s something that should be embraced rather than something that should be shamed.”
It’s a fantastic attitude from Osaka, who can definitely look back on her successful career with very fond memories.
She is a former world number one with seven WTA titles, winning the Australian Open and the US Open two times each.
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