Osaka hails retiring Nishikori as 'inspirational'

From one history-maker to another. Naomi Osaka had nothing but love for her compatriot, Kei Nishikori, after the 36-year-old announced on Thursday that he will retire from professional tennis at the end of this season. 

Calling Nishikori a "Japanese legend" as she shared content of his career highlights, Osaka also expressed how much she looked up to the former ATP World No. 4 in her youth. 

"I do not think Kei knows how inspirational he is to me but when I was younger, I would always watch his matches and want to do as well as him," Osaka, who is eight years Nishikori's junior, wrote alongside a photo of the two in front of the Japanese flag at the 2018 US Open -- a tournament Osaka went on to win. Nishikori also reached the semifinals that year, marking the first time that a Japanese man and woman got that far at the same major.

Osaka also commented on Nishikori's social media post where he announced his retirement that it "was an honor to watch [him] play."

Four years prior to Osaka winning her first major in New York, Nishikori became the first player -- male or female -- representing the Asian nation to reach a Grand Slam singles final when he was runner-up at the 2014 US Open. He went on to set what was, at the time, an Open Era record for the highest singles ranking for a player from Japan in 2015 -- until Osaka surpassed him by reaching World No. 1. 

Nishikori also qualified for the year-end ATP Finals four times -- twice reaching the semifinals, in another first for Japan -- and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio for the country's first Olympic tennis medal in 96 years.