"Andre Agassi, Li Na and Maria Sharapova" - Naomi Osaka reveals her ideal dinner guests from the tennis world

Naomi Osaka has picked Andre Agassi, Li Na, and Maria Sharapova as the ones she would invite from the tennis world for dinner. Osaka's admission came during her post-match press conference following her hard-fought first-round win over Frenchwoman Diane Parry at the ongoing Wimbledon Championships.

Osaka's 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 win over Parry marked her first victory at SW19 in six years. The Japanese's current Wimbledon outing marks only her fourth appearance at the prestigious Grasscourt Major, where she appeared last in 2019. The former World No. 1 got off to a bright start against the Frenchwoman, with her powerful groundstrokes proving too difficult for Parry to deal with.

However, the four-time Major winner's form dipped drastically in the second set, with Parry taking full advantage of the situation. In the third and deciding set, the Frenchwoman seemed to be in cruise control after establishing a 3-1 lead, but just when it mattered most, Osaka raised her game, eventually going on to seal her progress to the second round.

At her post-match press conference, Osaka was asked whom she would invite to dinner from the tennis world. The Japanese initially picked Andre Agassi and Li Na before asking if the dinner would be a "friendly gathering" or something a bit more formal.

"Andre Agassi, Li Na, and… is it like a friendly gathering or am I like learning from them?" Osaka asked.

At this point, the journalist who had asked the question said it could be anything Osaka would like. The Japanese proceeded to add Maria Sharapova's name to her list of distinguished dinner guests.

"Maria Sharapova," Osaka said.

The former World No. 1 also laid bare her admiration for Li Na's sense of humor.

"I love it (Li Na's sense of humor). I remember I used to watch so many on court interviews, any kind of interviews from her. I really think she’s one of the best," Osaka added.

Maria Sharapova had voiced her support for Naomi Osaka in 2021 in the aftermath of the Japanese's public breakdown following a defeat at the US Open

Maria Sharapova

At the 2021 US Open, Naomi Osaka was ousted by eventual finalist Leylah Fernandez. The Japanese later broke down in tears during her post-match press conference, and said that she would spend time away from tennis as she admitted having difficulties in controlling her emotions, especially after negative results.

Overall, it was a turbulent year for Osaka as she had previously withdrawn from both the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships citing the need to look after her mental health. Sharapova later voiced her support for the Japanese, saying:

"We all need to be incredibly supportive of athletes who are going through tough times in their careers. Naomi Osaka is an incredible athlete and a beautiful human being, who has a very long career ahead of her. We all need to respect the decisions that players make at times of vulnerability, when they’re feeling down or not playing their best tennis," Sharapova said.

Osaka's next test at the ongoing Wimbledon Championships will be to get past No. 18 seed Emma Navarro. Navarro reached the second round after a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Wang Qiang.