Naomi Osaka reveals Michael Jordan inspiration, teases potential mixed doubles partner at Wimbledon - Madrid Diary

Osaka wants to follow MJ’s lead Naomi Osaka shared some insight on Sunday into why she took to the court for her second round against Sara Sorribes Tormo despite carrying an Achilles injury she picked up after her opener in Madrid. Ad/> Osaka lost to a relentless Sorribes Tormo 6-3, 6-1 and admitted she could have dealt with her injury in a “smarter” manner by perhaps taking painkillers sooner than she did.

WTA MadridError-prone Osaka crashes out to Sorribes Tormo in Madrid9 HOURS AGO While some may have considered withdrawing from the tournament to avoid risking further injury with a major goal like the French Open coming up ahead, Osaka said she wanted to push herself and test her limits, taking a page out of Michael Jordan’s playbook. The Japanese star referenced Jordan’s iconic ‘Flu Game’, which saw the American legend suit up for the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, despite suffering from a bad case of food poisoning.

Jordan scored 38 points that day to help his side defeat the Jazz before collapsing into Scottie Pippen’s arms. “For me, honestly, I don't want to ,like, retire because of injury again in my career,” explained Osaka after her loss at the Caja Magica.

“Because you know, like sometimes I think about the Michael Jordan ‘Flu Game’, I'm like, ‘I should be like that too’. “There is always, like, caution in your mind, but for me, I want to see what happens if I push through it.