Naomi Osaka reveals hidden Venus Williams motivation behind Indian Wells 2025 excitement

Tennis player Naomi Osaka has opened up about how she found the inspiration to play tennis from legend Venus Williams. They will be playing alongside one another at the upcoming Indian Wells tournament starting in March.

Williams has received a surprising wild card entry into the tournament after a long hiatus, since her last match at the Miami Open 2024. Williams had faced a first-round exit after her defeat against Diana Shnaider in straight sets at the Miami Open.

The Japanese expressed her delight in being able to play with one of the people she looked up to since her childhood. In an interview with CNN Sports, she spoke about how Williams played a pivotal role in her starting to play tennis.

“She’s probably the reason why I started playing,” Osaka told CNN.

“It makes me really excited to go to the tournament and see her, and I feel like she probably doesn’t know how many people she’s inspired because even she inspired me – and through me, there’s probably other kids that are inspired. So it keeps the legacy going,” she added.

Williams, 44, is not very active in tennis nowadays having played only two matches last year. The news of her wildcard entry hence was surprising, to say the least. However, having won multiple accolades throughout her career including seven grand slam wins, she will keep the tennis world hooked for some entertainment.

Osaka on the other hand has had a very disappointing start to her season. She will look to overcome her challenges with injuries and make an impact in the tournament.

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Naomi Osaka hopeful of putting an end to her dearth of title wins

Naomi Osaka at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

During the interview with CNN Sports, Naomi Osaka also spoke about how she hopes to make a steady comeback. She faced a heartbreak in this year's Australian Open due to an injury. It resulted in Osaka giving a walkover to Belinda Bencic in the third round of the tournament.

“I think I’m playing really well, even from last year, the end of last year. I got injured there too. But I’ve beaten some really good players. So I hope that I can continue that trend,” said Osaka.

She also expressed her wish to achieve greater goals before she concludes her tennis career.

“I have a lot of goals going forward. For as long as I can play, I really want to win Wimbledon and Roland Garros and get a career grand slam,” she added.

She looks to clinch her first Sunshine Double beginning with Indian Wells.