Her first love will always be tennis, but off the court, it looks like Naomi Osaka‘s boyfriend takes the cake!

The four-time Grand Slam champ has been dating her current beau since 2019—though, the notoriously private couple didn’t debut their relationship until later that year. In an interview with GQ in February 2021, Osaka’s boyfriend explained why they decided to keep their relationship under wraps for so long: “We were dating for almost a year before people knew about us. So we kind of move very reclusively,” he told the magazine. “We don’t really post intimate moments, because I feel as though they’re sacred. A relationship is really a sacred thing. Once you let outside influences get into it, it becomes less sacred.”

So, you’re probably not alone if you didn’t know about Naomi Osaka‘s boyfriend until now. If you’re ready to learn all about who the lucky guy really is, just keep on reading below!

Naomi Osaka’s boyfriend is a rapper.

Naomi Osaka’s boyfriend in 2021 is Cordae Amari Dunston. Dunston is a rapper who goes by Cordae (formerly known as YBN Cordae) and has already been nominated for two Grammys. In 2019, he was up for Best Rap Album for his debut, The Lost Boy, and Best Rap Song for “Bad Idea.”

Ever since they started dating, Cordae has even included some subtle shout-outs to his girlfriend in his songs over the years. He first mentioned Osaka on April 2021’s “More Life,” where he raps, “My girl a tennis star.” Cordae also referenced the tennis champ on another song off of his 2021 EP: “My girl would forfeit a tennis match to meet my grandmama / Man, she truly a keeper,” he raps on “Dream In Color.”

Their first date was at a Los Angeles Clippers game.

According to TMZ, Cordae and Osaka started dating sometime in April 2019—but it wasn’t until December 2019 that the pair went public with their relationship. Just over a year later, the private couple finally opened up about their relationship in a profile for GQ.

During the interview, Osaka revealed their first date took place at the Staples Center for a Clippers game. “We were on FaceTime trying to find each other because the arena was so big. And I just remember seeing that there were so many people who wanted to take a picture with him,” she told the magazine. “And I just thought it was really cool how friendly and welcoming he was with everyone.” Sounds like a sweet first impression—and we love that for her!

Cordae wasn’t always a tennis fan!

In 2019, Cordae revealed on Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning show that he actually didn’t even know who Osaka was when he first met her. “I know Serena Williams. When you think about tennis, I just know Serena Williams,” he explained, revealing that he wasn’t a huge fan of the sport before he started dating Osaka.

But he’s super supportive of Osaka.

During their couple’s interview for GQ, Osaka gushed about how Cordae quarantined for her amid the pandemic just to be there for her during the 2020 U.S. Open. “Honestly, he’s quite a romantic dude,” she told the magazine. “During the whole New York thing and with everything that was going on, I started to feel really depressed. Sometimes I would call Cordae, and maybe in some of the calls, I would cry. I don’t remember. [Laughs.] And he flew out, even though he was really busy. I really appreciated that.”

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