Naomi Osaka recalls thinking Ons Jabeur was "the nicest person I've ever met" during their first ever meeting

Japanese tennis icon Naomi Osaka recently reminisced about her first meeting with World No. 2 Ons Jabeur way back in 2015.

Osaka, winner of four Grand Slam singles titles, looked back fondly on their first meeting and heaped praise on the Tunisian, describing her as the "nicest woman she has ever met."

Osaka turned to social media to welcome Ons Jabeur to her sports agency, Evolve. While doing so, the Japanese looked back fondly on her first meeting with Jabeur.

Osaka spoke about how they met during the WTA Rising Stars event in 2015, a tournament held in Singapore. The event, which took place just before the WTA Finals, featured the likes of Naomi Osaka, Ons Jabuer, Zhu Lin, and Caroline Garcia.

“I first met Ons at the WTA Rising Stars event in 2015, and my immediate thought while interacting with her was, ’Wow, she's the nicest person I’ve ever met," Osaka wrote on social media.

She further explained how Ons Jabeur made her feel welcome and comfortable by cracking jokes, something the Tunisian still manages to do.

"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," added Osaka."Even now, when we play the same tournaments she still does the same. That kind of kindness is something that I will never forget and I think moments like that are what define your character."

The two-time US Open winner further mentioned that "watching Jabeur rise through the tour has been joyful to watch."

"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," she stated.