Osaka on Murray: 'He's relentless'

WTA star Naomi Osaka had plenty of praise for former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Andy Murray on and off the court following her first-round victory at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

“It’s funny, I actually asked [coach] Wim [Fissette] where Murray was because I haven't seen him for a couple tournaments. I didn't know that he was out,” Osaka said in response to a question about his comeback later this month at the Gonet Geneva Open. “For me, Murray's such a great guy, such a tough competitor. I think it's really amazing the fact that he loves tennis so much and he keeps coming back. He's had all these injuries. He's kind of relentless in a way. Just his ability to keep playing matches at a high level.”

Murray hurt his left ankle in March during a match at the Miami Open presented by Itau. In his first social media post following the injury, he showed his trademark resilience by writing, “I’ll be back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right”.

That attitude is one of the reasons Murray has earned millions of fans around the world, including Osaka.

“For me, when I think about him, when I think about the legacy that he leaves on tennis,” Osaka said. “Obviously he's done a lot for British tennis. I think as a kid watching him on TV playing these amazing battles, he's affected every tennis kid worldwide.”

Throughout his career, Murray has also been a leader in supporting WTA stars and women’s tennis.

“He’s been very vocal,” Osaka said. “I know all tennis players and all female athletes really appreciate it.”