"I hope people over [in Japan] are happy, that’s the main thing that I wish"
Naomi Osaka has said Eminem and Nicki Minaj helped her win the US Open 2018.
According to People, Naomi Osaka has revealed that Eminem and Nicki Minaj played a part in helping her win the US Open.
The 20-year-old Japanese tennis star defeated her childhood hero Serna Williams to win the US Open Women’s Finals on Saturday. She became the first-ever Japanese Grand Slam champion.
“I hope people over [in Japan] are happy, that’s the main thing that I wish,” Osaka said.
Osaka revealed that she is somewhat superstitious about the music she listens to during tournaments. She said she usually only listens to one musician before matches and only changes artists if she loses.
During the US Open, Osaka’s choice of music was Nick Minja’s new album Queen but the tennis star also listen to Eminem’s Kamikaze, when it was unexpectedly released.
“I listened to Nicki Minaj‘s new album [Queen],” said Osaka. “And then Eminem dropped a new album [Kamikaze] so I was switching between those two. I’m genuinely more into hip-hop and rap.”
Previously, Osaka had been listening to Kendrick Lamar’s music at the Washington Citi Open. She is also a big fan of Beyoncé, tweeting, “tell me why Beyoncé decides to have a concert in Miami at the same time as the US Open. I’m legit gonna cry.”
Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles Lawson congratulated the young tennis star on her victory.
“Congratulations Naomi Osaka on winning the US Open,” Knowles wrote on Instagram. “You were amazing in your skills and your grace. You’ve Only Just Begun!”