Japanese star Naomi Osaka recently shared a blooper video of herself attempting to make basketball shots, which she unfortunately failed comically. She has arrived in the city for the Atlanta Cup event, scheduled for Dec. 6, featuring elite players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Ben Shelton, and Nick Kyrgios.
Osaka, who had delivered notable performances throughout her 2025 season, finished her season at the Japan Women’s Open and enjoyed her offseason, relishing in the scenic Caribbean getaway, among other activities.
Naomi Osaka Hilariously Fails To Make Basketball Shots With Christopher Eubanks and Ben Shelton
The World No. 16 has become one of the tennis stars to participate in exhibition matches before their official season begins. Osaka, along with World No. 1 Sabalenka, ATP World No. 9 Ben Shelton, and Nick Kyrgios, will be headlining the exhibition match in Atlanta.
The mixed doubles match will feature Shelton and Osaka against the pair of Sabalenka and Kyrgios, who will also participate in the “Battle of the Sexes” match in Dubai on Dec. 28, 2025. Through her recent Instagram stories, the Chūō-ku native shared glimpses of her arrival, the event’s promotional video, and of her throwing tennis balls in the crowd.
Apart from this, she was also seen having a fun basketball session with Shelton, her girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman, and American tennis talent Christopher Eubanks, who had announced his retirement from professional tennis last month.
Osaka, who was trying to make successful shots, humorously failed in her attempts and shared the video through her Instagram stories, featuring the Titanic flute meme music that highlighted her joke.
Osaka, along with Nao Hibino, Shintaro Mochizuki, and Yasutaka Uchiyama, will represent Team Japan at the 2026 United Cup, a mixed-team tournament taking place in Australia from January 2 to 11, 2026, alongside other countries, ahead of the Australian Open.
Stephen Farrow, the director of the United Cup tournament, had added, as per the ATP Tour, “The United Cup holds a unique position in global tennis, with the world’s best men and women committed to play in mixed teams and showcase equality in the sport. We look forward to the official draw next Monday to determine where our 18 countries will play across Perth and Sydney.”
He continued highlighting the elite stage, which will see actions from the top stars of the sport, “It will be fascinating to see where the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Jasmine Paolini end up competing. With AO 2019 and 2021 champion Naomi Osaka also leading Team Japan in its United Cup debut, the star power in 2026 is undeniable.”
The tournament, whose defending champions are Team USA, will feature matches played at both Sydney and Perth at the RAC Arena and the Ken Rosewall Arena.
