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Osaka meets Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura

ByCale Hammond

Published Dec 03, 2019

Naomi Osaka hadn’t met 21-year-old Japanese baller Rui Hachimura before Sunday night, but that didn’t stop the Los Angeles resident from supporting her countryman.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of his games on the TV in Tokyo so I’m excited to see him in person," Osaka said.

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Hachimura, a first round pick in the 2019 NBA draft, dropped a career-high 30 points with Osaka in attendance.

“From what I see he’s a really good guy and someone that kids can look up to,” Osaka said.

His recent performance even caught the attention of Clippers' All-Star Kawhi Leonard.

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Leonard's also familiar with tennis, having met Coco Gauff last month.

The world No. 3-ranked Osaka is starting her preseason training after a vacation well-spent in Turks and Caicos.