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Naomi Osaka teams up for practice with LA Lakers' Rui Hachimura

The former world No. 1 recently gave birth to her first child and has been looking to make good on her promise to return to action next season with help from the NBA star.

ByDavid Kane

Published Aug 21, 2023

THE BREAK: Everything we know about Naomi Osaka’s daughter.

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Hoops, there it is!

Naomi Osaka is back on the practice court with an extra special guest this week, sharing footage to social media of LA Lakers star Rui Hachimura attempting to return the former No. 1’s still-formidable ground game.

Osaka has been off tour since late last year when she announced that she was expecting her first child, revealing the birth of a daughter named Shai in July.

Joining her for a light practice was Hachimura, a Power forward who, like Osaka, was born in Japan in the mid-90s. Drafted to play for the Washington Wizards in 2019, Hachimura joined the Lakers this season, making his debut against the San Antonio Spurs back in January.

But how does that hand-eye coordination translate to the tennis court? It looks like Osaka, who promised to return to the tour in time for the 2024 Australian Open, still has the upper hand even in a friendly rally.

“lil bro really thought he had it,” captioned the four-time Grand Slam champion with a series of comical emojis.

Might Osaka parlay this early success into a late-season return? Or will fans have to wait for the Australian summer to see her back in a tournament?