Published 18:05 IST, January 16th 2020
Naomi Osaka pokes fun at Serena Williams in latest tweet from Australia charity match
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams were among the tennis stars who played at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday to raise money for the victims of Australia bushfires.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
It was in the US Open 2018 that Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 and went onto lift the first Grand Slam of her career. The controversial match also witnessed Williams getting enraged by umpire Carlos Ramos's warning for receiving coaching from her box. It has been more than 15 months since that win and once again both these stars are set to compete in the upcoming Australian Open.
Australian Open: Naomi Osaka trolls Serena Williams
Before Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams begin their Australian Open campaign, the two were among the tennis stars who played at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Wednesday to raise money for the victims of the recent Australia bushfires. Osaka posted a picture on Twitter with Serena Williams during the vent but what stood out was the caption given by Japanese star.
Roger Federer, Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsisipas and Rafael Nadal all were the part of the exhibition match. The main event of the Australian Open will begin from January 20 and Serena Williams will be looking to get her hands on a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. In 2018, Naomi Osaka had become the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam singles title by beating Serena Williams. Osaka is also the defending Australian Open champion, having won the final last year by defeating Petra Kvitova.
Amount collected for victims of Australia bushfires
The 'Rally for Relief' held at the Rod Laver Arena, the main stadium court at the Australian Open, raised almost AUD $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Rafael Nadal also announced that he and Swiss star Roger Federer had combined to donate $250,000. Earlier, Serena Williams had also donated her personally signed dress to help the Australia bushfires victims. Apart from Serena, a host of other athletes from the sporting fraternity have come ahead and made donations.
Updated 18:05 IST, January 16th 2020