Jennifer Brady names Naomi Osaka's serve as the best she's ever faced; picks Andy Roddick & Kim Clijsters among her favorites to watch growing up

Jennifer Brady recently gave her thoughts on a variety of topics during an 'Ask Me Anything' session on social media, including Naomi Osaka's serve and some of her favorite players to watch growing up.

The American, who was out of action for nearly two years due to a serious injury, was asked by one of the Reddit users about the best serve that she had faced during her time on the WTA tour. In her response, she named Naomi Osaka as the one player whose serve had troubled her the most.

The answer hardly came as surprising, though, considering how Brady had previously failed to beat the four-time Major winner in all three of her matches. Two of those games were the 2020 US Open semifinal and the 2021 Australian Open final.

During their 2020 US Open encounter, Naomi Osaka won a whopping 84% of her first-serve points against the 5'10" American in a display of raw power. The Japanese star subsequently defeated Brady in three sets, before beating Victoria Azarenka to win her second title in New York City.

The two would face off once again during the Australian Open final the following year. Although Osaka won the match in straight sets, her serve was slightly less impressive as she won 77% of her points off her first serve to seal the Melbourne title.

Naomi Osaka also beat Jennifer Brady in the first round of the 2018 Charleston Open. She won 74% of her first-serve points against the American in that match, in what was a good serve performance considering her claycourt prowess.

During the AMA, Jennifer Brady later revealed that Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were her favorite players to watch when she was coming up as a pro.

All of the aforementioned players were known for their offensive style of play during their careers. It thus makes a lot of sense for Brady to have looked up to their games for inspiration.

Naomi Osaka will likely be making her comeback to competitive tennis in 2024

Naomi Osaka is hopeful of a fruitful return to the top of tennis in 2024

Naomi Osaka is all set to make her much-awaited comeback to the pro tour in 2024. The four-time Major winner welcomed a baby girl with rapper Cordae last month and wasted no time in hitting the courts again following the birth of her daughter. She also suggested in her Instagram stories that she was hopeful of participating in the 2024 US Open.

It may be noted that Osaka had struggled with a variety of injuries before she took a break from tennis due to her pregnancy. The Japanese was forced to retire from the 2022 Canadian Open due to a back injury, before ending her most recent tournament campaign at the 2022 Pan Pacific Open citing abdominal pain.

Due to her poor form and a subsequent pregnancy break, Osaka has fallen outside of the top 600 of the WTA rankings. Having said that, she will likely make a climb back to the upper echelons of the women's sport when she makes her return in 2024.