When Naomi Osaka faced the media in Japan as a Grand Slam champion for the first time on Sept. 13, Shun Nakasone was right there beside her.
This week, Nakasone has essentially been the tennis star's mouthpiece in his role as the interpreter for the Toray Pan Pacific Open. The tournament is Osaka's first since her victory over Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final on Sept. 9 in New York.
Osaka isn't fluent in Japanese, so when she needs to get her point across during the tournament, it’s through Nakasone. The arrangement is nothing new to either of them.