WATCH: Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka have a blast as they battle it out in fun ping pong clash at their hotel ahead of US Open

Tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka turned heads at an exclusive event, "Annual Petit Slam," hosted at the Baccarat Hotel. The two champions swapped their rackets for table tennis paddles ahead of their US Open fixtures at Flushing Meadows.

This was Sinner's third time participating in the said annual event. A fun ping-pong match was arranged between Sinner and Osaka, which drew the attention of the crowd.

The Italian was dressed in a casual white polo and beige trousers. Meanwhile, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka sported a stylish black cropped jacket and cap. The duo posed together with table tennis paddles in hand.

The video of the tennis players playing ping pong was shared by Reddit user. Both multi-time Grand Slam champions engaged in a long rally before Osaka played a false shot landing outside the table, giving Sinner a point. The Italian chuckled after the point.

Both Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka will begin their campaign at the US Open on Monday. Sinner will face Vit Kopriva in the first round, while Osaka will play Greet Minnen.

Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka ready to do well in US Open

After withdrawing midway through the finals of the Cincinnati Masters against Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion Jannik Sinner is fit to compete at the US Open. This comes after he withdrew from a warm-up match. While he may not be at full strength, he's confident he'll be ready on Monday.

If Sinner gets past the first round, he'll face either Alexei Popyrin or Emil Ruusuvuori. Similarly, if he continues to win and the tournament doesn't see any upsets, his potential future matchups could include matches against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals and Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic in the finals.

Meanwhile, Osaka is busy promoting her second documentary titled "Naomi Osaka: The Second Set." It can be streamed on Tubi from August 24 onwards. In the documentary, she opens up about her battle with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Shai, in July 2023.

After potentially winning the first round match against Greetje Minnen, Osaka could likely be matched up against the likes of Hailey Baptiste, Daria Kasatkina and Coco Gauff in further rounds. If all things go according to seedings, Osaka could face Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and Aryna Sabalenka in the finals.

It remains to be seen if Sinner and Osaka can win the Grand Slam this year.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua