“The nicest person I ever met,” Naomi Osaka recalls her first meeting with Ons Jabeur as her agency ‘Evolve’ signs the Tunisian

Naomi Osaka shares the details of her heartwarming meeting with Ons Jabeur in 2015.

“The nicest person I ever met,” Naomi Osaka recalls her first meeting with Ons Jabeur as her agency ‘Evolve’ signs the Tunisian

Ons Jabeur, Naomi Osaka

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka is making her presence increasingly felt as a sports entrepreneur. Her sport management agency ‘Evolve’ has signed up World No. 2 Ons Jabeur as its newest client. With this Jabeur becomes the second tennis personality after Nick Kyrgios joined hands with Osaka’s firm earlier.

After the signing Osaka shared the news on social media with a heartwarming post about her meeting with Jabeur in 2015. Former World No. 1 Osaka told the story about how she first bonded with Jabeur at the 2015 WTA Finals in Singapore. Osaka described Jabeur as the ‘nicest person she ever met’ in the social media post.

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Welcoming Jabeur to ‘Evolve’ Osaka wrote,” I first met Ons at the WTA rising starts event in 2015, and my immediate thought while interacting with her was,’wow she’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.'” “I was extremely shy so all I could ever do was mumble out a few words, but she always came up to me, cracked jokes, and made me feel more comfortable,” Osaka further added.

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“That type of kindness is something I’ll never forget and I think moments like that are what define your character. Over the years, watching her rise through the tour and become the star that she is has been incredibly joyful to watch and I can’t wait to see her create more history and ascend even higher,” the 25-year-old continued admiring Jabeur.

Related: Naomi Osaka’s uncertain playing status gives Australian Open officials a headache

Naomi Osaka’s Evolve and other business ventures

Naomi Osaka (Image: Forbes)

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion, Naomi Osaka is quickly turning into a successful entrepreneur. Her management firm ‘Evolve’ was cofounded with her long-time agent at IMG Stuart Duguid in May 2022. The major focus areas of agency brand collaboration, investments, athlete-owned ventures, philanthropy, etc.

Australian tennis professional Nick Kyrgios became the agency’s first client right after its formation. With Ons Jabeur the agency is trying to increase its footprint in the tennis world. Jabeur too expressed excitement following the sign-up. 

Other than the sports management firm, Osaka also owns a skincare brand Kinlo which caters to melanated skin and underserved communities. Earlier in June 2022, Osaka launched her media company Hana Kuma in partnership with basketball star LeBron James. Her on-court performances and entrepreneurship make her one of the highest-paid athletes according to Forbes.

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