The start of the 2024 U.S. Open means many of our favorite tennis stars are beginning their quests to win the final Grand Slam tournament of the season. Naomi Osaka opened her competition on Tuesday with a big 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 10 ranked player Jelena Ostapenko — and she did it while rocking the No. 8 jersey of late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
During her post-match press conference, Osaka said that wearing the jersey of one of her sports idols helps her feel his presence.
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“I always wear Kobe jerseys after matches and practices because I feel like I can kind of keep his spirit with me,” Osaka said.
The two-time U.S. Open champion also recalled him coming to watch her play in 2019, and what that meant to her.
“I played on the same court today—Louis Armstrong—the court that he came and watched my match,” she said. “I honestly remember being a little bit in disbelief that he was coming. Just to feel that support was unreal.”
As previously reported by The Root, the 26-year-old athlete recently took to Instagram to describe how she hasn’t felt like herself since coming back in January. However, in the press conference she revealed that playing in New York helps her feel more confident on the court.
“For me this court is my home. It gives me so much more confidence. I step on the court knowing that I probably have the most wins in the field…having two wins here means a lot,” Osaka said. “I’ve been struggling with confidence throughout the year and to look in the mirror and say ‘Hey you’ve done really well there’s no reason why you can’t do well again.’ I just tried to channel that today.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion has struggled since returning from maternity leave earlier this year, so this dominant victory signals a resurgence in her game. Up next, she takes on Karolína Muchová in the second round on Thursday. The 2024 U.S. Open is airing live on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ through Sept. 8.
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