Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios reportedly invest in new Major League Pickleball team based in Miami

Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios are set to join the bandwagon of tennis personalities investing in sister-sport pickleball and its big league, the Major League Pickleball (MLP), according to the latest reports.

Osaka and Kyrgios are said to have joined Patrick Mahomes in the ownership group of the new MLP team. The team will be based in Miami and will make its debut in the league in the 2023 season.

MLP is set to double in size next season, going from 12 to 24 teams, which also includes another new team with Belgian tennis great Kim Clijsters and NFL legend Tom Brady in the ownership group. Other superstar team owners in the league include LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Drew Bees.

As per Forbes, Osaka, Kyrgios, and Mahomes are said to co-own the Miami-based team with billionaires Soichiro Minami and Matthew Pritzker, as well as NBA agent Rich Paul. While the valuation of the team and the size of the investments, particularly from the dynamic tennis duo, are unknown, the league's expansion fee is believed to be in the range of $1 million - 3 million.

Japanese superstar Naomi Osaka continues to invest in promising businesses in the world of sports as well as outside of it. The four-time Grand Slam champion has been ranked the world's highest-paid female athlete for three consecutive years now.

Osaka was ranked No. 19 on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes in 2022 with total pre-tax earnings of $59.2 million. She and Serena Williams (No. 31) were the only two women athletes in the Top-50.

Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka's business association started well before co-owning the new pickleball team

Naomi Osaka in action at the 2022 US Open.

After being inspired by the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Tom Brady, Naomi Osaka co-founded the sports agency Evolve - a sports athlete management firm - back in May this year along with her long-term agent Stuart Duguid. Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios became the first client on Evolve's roster. Kyrgios recently opened up about his association with Evolve, crediting Evolve for sharing his vision, and crediting Duguid for helping his "business grow tremendously."

“I always like to do things my way. And I don’t care too much for the status quo. Evolve shares that vision,” Kyrgios said in an interview with Boardroom.

“What they achieved with Naomi over the past few years is unprecedented. Since working with Stu, my business has grown tremendously,” the 2022 Wimbledon finalist added.

While Osaka continues to make big strides in the business and investment field, she will now aim to return to her best self on the WTA tour, having not won a title since the 2021 Australian Open and currently down to No. 41 in the WTA rankings.