"Tennis needs Naomi Osaka so bad, she & Coco Gauff are the only ones they could ask": Fans react to Japanese's take on Kendrick Lamar and Drake's feud

Naomi Osaka delivered her verdict on the feud between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake during a press conference following her first-round win at the ongoing Italian Open. Osaka, despite professing her neutrality and pacifist tendencies, sided with Lamar.

Both Lamar and Drake have been trading barbs via multiple diss tracks. Lamar's latest diss track, "Not Like Us", came out on Saturday, May 4. Drake replied to it with a track of his own, titled "The Heart Part 6", in which the Canadian tried to dial things down a notch. Lamar is yet to respond to it.

Osaka was asked about the feud following her win over Clara Burel in the first round of the Italian Open. The Japanese said:

"You know, I'm a pacifist. I'm a neutral party. However, Kendrick dropped some heat that last song. That last song is amazing, and I played it walking onto the court. Currently I think Kendrick's doing a good job."

One set of tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) lauded Osaka and opined that the sport needs players like her and Coco Gauff. The Japanese and the American are typically open when it comes to talking about pop culture.

"U see why Tennis needs her so baddd. She and Coco Gauff are the only one they could asked this question. Puts tennis on hottest topic too," one fan wrote.

"You can tell she’s authentic," commented another fan.

"This is why I will always love Naomi. She keeps it real and knows her ish! I’m listening to it now!!!" another fan chimed in.

Another set of fans poked fun at Osaka's answer. According to them, the Japanese is like most hip-hop enthusiasts, who would rather see the feud keep going so both rappers continue releasing more tracks.

"Naomi wants an album out of this lol," wrote one fan.

"She’s just like us fr," another fan commented.

"We talking “rap beef” in Rome, huh!!!Great question, @FortyDeuceTwits! And fantastic answer Naomi," the X handle of a prominent podcast wrote.

Both Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are set to feature in the second round of the Italian Open

Osaka is slated to face No. 19 seed Marta Kostyuk in the second round of the Italian Open on Thursday, May 9. It will mark the pair's second meeting on the WTA Tour. Their last clash came in the third round of the 2020 US Open, which Osaka won on her way to winning her third Grand Slam title.

Gauff too, will be in action on May 9. As the No. 3 seed at the WTA 1000 tournament, Gauff received a first-round bye and is set to start her campaign in the Italian capital against Magdalena Frech. The reigning US Open champion leads the Pole 1-0 in their head-to-head, having won their sole encounter at this year's Australian Open 6-1, 6-2.