Tennis

She's baaaaaack!!!

After 2 months away from the sport, Naomi Osaka has made her return to tennis ... posting shots on the court to announce her comeback after a 2-month break.

"kinda rusty but feels good to be back 🎾💕," she said via Instagram on Friday. "I really want to say thank you everyone for all the kind messages, I really appreciate it ❤️."

The 24-year-old pro said back in September she intended to step away from the game to focus on herself after an upset loss at the U.S. Open in September ... admitting wins made her feel more relief than happiness.

Osaka was #3 in the world at the time ... and now, she's sitting at #13.

The superstar looks happy on the court while throwing up a peace sign and a smile ... which means she might be ready to get back to competing here soon.

As we previously reported, Osaka has been outspoken on her battles with mental health ... previously boycotting the media at the French Open, which resulted in a fine.

She also backed out of Wimbledon earlier this year to focus on her personal time.

Tennis legend Mardy Fish says he might not be alive if it weren't for his wife ... crediting her with getting him out of a really bad place with his mental health struggles.

Mardy joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and got real with us about some of his bouts with anxiety, which became so overwhelming at one point he pulled out at the last minute from a big U.S. Open match with Roger Federer .... years before professional athletes opened up about their mental health struggles.

The way Mardy tells it ... his better half, Stacey Gardner, was able to pull him out from a dark place and change his perspective with some sage advice at a moment when he was having panic attacks every single day. The epiphany gave him the strength to withdraw from the 2012 U.S. Open match he was supposed to play. Instead, he faced the media and was candid about his issues.

Mardy went on to champion mental health and how it affects athletes in particular, who traditionally were trained to bottle up their emotions because it was viewed as weakness.

Mardy, who was diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder, is now mentoring young tennis players dealing with some of the same issues he went through ... and there's a new Netflix documentary on his journey, "Untold: Breaking Point."  He's also the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team.

Andy Murray will certainly be kicking himself for a while … ‘cause the tennis star says his wedding ring was stolen -- and it's all 'cause he left it out in public with some sweaty shoes.

Murray detailed the debacle on his social media page Thursday ... explaining he had to ditch his tennis shoes underneath his car overnight after a workout because the kicks were so sweaty and smelly.

The problem ... Murray had forgotten he had tied his ring to the shoes (he weaves it into the laces because he can't play with it on his hand) -- and when he says someone swiped the pair overnight, he lost his priceless jewelry!!

"When I got back to the car in the morning the shoes were gone," Murray said, adding, "Yes, I know I'm an idiot and in hindsight it seems like a terrible idea."

The 34-year-old is now begging the public to help him get his ring back ... admitting his wife, Kim, ain't pleased with him one bit over it all.

"Needless to say, I'm in the bad books at home," Murray said. "So I want to try and find it. So if anyone can share this or may have any clue where they may be would be very helpful so I can try and get it back and get to the bottom of it. It would be much appreciated.”

No word if there's lead on a suspect ... but seems clear if he can't find it -- he's going to have a lot of kissing up to do Kim when he gets home.

Winning Super Bowls and Olympic medals works wonders for your clout ... 'cause Tom Brady and Simone Biles are on Time's list of most influential people once again.

Of course, the esteemed list highlights the biggest activists, innovators, athletes and artists each year ... and in 2021, several sports stars were honored with the recognition.

Joining TB12 and Biles are Team USA gold medalist Suni Lee, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, USA track legend Allyson Felix and L.A. Angels pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani.

Biles also graces one of the 7 different covers for the magazine ... which features a touching writeup from Serena Williams on the gymnast's highly publicized mental health battle at the 2020 Tokyo games.

"What she embodies truly reflects the endless potential of Black women." Williams says. "I wish I had her to look up to when I was younger and trying to realize my dreams."

"By living her truth so loudly and by championing mental health, she is setting new standards of beauty, strength and resilience, breaking down today’s image-obsessed stereotypes and encouraging others to do the same."

"Simone is a shining example of what success looks like when you let go of what the world thinks and gather your strength from yourself ... from your soul."

Naomi Osaka had a disastrous match Friday ... repeatedly losing her composure and ultimately losing her U.S. Open match ... and she says her future in tennis is now uncertain.

Osaka won the first set against 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez ... but things unraveled for her in the second set. She threw her racket 3 times and when she lost the set she walked off the court.

The defending U.S. Open champ returned and the crowd began to cheer for Fernandez. Naomi shockingly double-faulted right out of the gate and ended up losing the match.

Naomi broke down in tears during a post-match interview, making it clear how much she's struggling and saying she's taking a break from tennis ... "I feel like I'm at this point where I'm trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match." In other words, Osaka herself has now made it clear ... her future in tennis is uncertain.

Naomi Osaka just made one young fan's day at the U.S. Open on Monday ... by gifting her a collectible Olympics pin as a "thank you" for showing so much support during her first-round match!!

The 23-year-old superstar advanced to the second round after winning in straight sets just hours ago ... and the little girl was cheering for her the entire time!!

Osaka -- who had an early exit from the 2020 Olympic Games -- said she had a few trading pins left over from her time in Tokyo ... so she decided to give an extra to her biggest fan in the stands!!

FYI -- Olympic pin trading is a tradition that goes back more than a hundred years ... with athletes, reporters and fans all swapping the little items during the Summer and Winter Games.

Osaka was asked about the gesture in her post-match interview ... saying, "I just heard her when I was playing my match and she was so cute."

"So, thank you for cheering me on!"

The camera then showed the fan smiling from ear-to-ear -- at least, we're assuming, 'cause the whole mask situation -- and waving back at Osaka.

"I thought it would be a nice little memory," the #3-ranked player added.

Huge bummer for Serena Williams -- the tennis superstar will NOT be competing at the U.S. Open next week ... saying it's best she lets her hamstring injury fully heal before returning to the court.

The 39-year-old made the news official on her Instagram Wednesday morning ... saying she thought long and hard about it, but the experts have advised her to sit out the Grand Slam tournament in Flushing Meadows.

Remember, Serena went down with the injury in the first round of Wimbledon back in June ... but her agent, Jill Smoller, told TMZ Sports last month Williams was hoping to be ready in time to compete for a 7th U.S. Open championship.

But, that ain't happening ... with Williams expressing her sadness in a heartfelt post.

"After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring," Serena said.

"New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite places to play -- I'll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar."

It's a massive blow to the tournament -- which was already without big names like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal -- but here's hoping Serena can get back out there sooner than later.

Naomi Osaka's first press conference since her French Open controversy did not go well ... the tennis superstar broke down in tears and needed a break after a media member reportedly asked her an "aggressively toned question."

Osaka -- who pulled out of the French Open back in May after she was fined for skipping post-match media sessions -- fielded several questions Monday ahead of her appearance at the Western & Southern Open in Ohio, before everything got derailed.

According to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg, a media member asked Osaka "a fairly aggressively toned question about how she benefits from a high-media profile but doesn't like talking to media."

That's when Osaka began to cry.

She wiped away tears with her jacket sleeve, pulled her hat down over her face ... and eventually needed to step away from the podium.

Rothenberg reports Osaka did come back to finish off the press conference ... but added, "the aggressive tone from an unfamiliar person, after Naomi had already spoken in an earlier answer about how that's what she finds difficult in press conferences, got things going completely awry."

Osaka's agent, Stuart Duguid, slammed the reporter in a statement following the presser ... saying, "The bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player / media relations are so fraught right now."

"Everyone on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all wrong and his sole purpose was to intimidate. Really appalling behavior."

Duguid added, "And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off-court success to the media is a myth – don’t be so self-indulgent."

As we previously reported, Osaka said she did not want to do media sessions during the French Open due to mental health issues, and later revealed she's battled "long bouts of depression" the past few years.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has stepped up in a big way to help victims of the massive earthquake in Haiti ... she's opening her wallet to provide badly-needed assistance.

Naomi has pledged to donate whatever prize money she wins at next week's Western & Southern Open to the Haitian relief effort.

Naomi, whose dad is Haitian, said, "Really hurts to see all the devastation that's going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can't catch a break," adding, "I'm about to play a tournament this week and I'll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti.  I know our ancestor's blood is strong we'll keep rising."

The massive, 7.2-magnitude quake rocked Haiti Saturday. The casualty numbers are not final, but more than 300 people have died, hundreds have been injured and an untolled numb er have been displaced from their homes.

Naomi has been a fierce advocate of various causes, including mental health and social justice. She wore masks with the names of victims of police violence at last year's U.S. Open.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King is singing Naomi Osaka's praises ... telling TMZ Sports she absolutely adores the 23-year-old superstar for her impact on and off the court.

Osaka has quickly become one of the most influential voices in all of sports -- using her platform to speak out on important topics like mental health awareness and social justice.

While she's continued to make an impact outside of competition, the #2-ranked pro shocked fans after getting booted from the Olympics in the first round earlier this week ... leaving folks wondering if she's lost a step on the court.

But, BJK is having NONE of that talk ... saying, "She’s taking a break. She still has it. Are you kidding? She’s just getting started. She’s so young."

"No, she hasn’t lost a step. Not at all, no, no, no, no."

King can't say enough good things about Osaka ... adding, "I love her because she speaks out on social justice and things that matter like mental health and black lives matter and everything. I love her."

Remember, Osaka withdrew from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon earlier this year ... calling out the media for neglecting the mental well-being of athletes and opening up on her struggles with depression.

King applauds Osaka for speaking out ... but also said it's something her era also battled.

"But we actually did worry about it, we just didn’t talk about it. The WTA, the Women’s Tennis Association does worry about it."

The revamped "Real Housewives of Miami" got its first dose of real-world drama this week when 911 was called due to a medical emergency on set ... and TMZ's learned it was for a brand new cast member.

Sources close to production tell us ... Julia Lemigova began feeling ill late Thursday morning after filming on the roof of an incredible home in Montauk, NY ... where they were staying during a cast trip.

We're told it's likely Julia got too much sun and was overheated, so someone inside the home called 911 because production felt it was best she get checked out by professionals.

According to the East Hampton PD report ... an EMT was called to the scene around 11:30 AM for a person who was feeling weak and nauseated. They were administered an IV, but did not require a trip to the hospital.

Our sources say cameras were rolling for the incident, as the ladies were all brunching to celebrate Larsa Pippen's jewelry line.

Julia -- a Russian former model who's married to tennis legend Martina Navratilova -- was not part of the original 'RHOM' cast when it aired on Bravo, but will be featured on the Peacock reboot later this year.

We're told after she recovered from her health episode, she carried on with the rest of the 'housewives' and kept filming the rest of the day and night.

Naomi Osaka is now in the company of Tyra Banks, Beyoncé and Kate Upton -- the tennis superstar is the newest S.I. Swimsuit cover model!!

The publication made the huge announcement Monday morning ... revealing the 23-year-old would be joining rap star Megan Thee Stallion and transgender actress/model/activist Leyna Bloom as a cover model for the 2021 issue.

The decision was easy for S.I. -- Osaka is no stranger to the suit game (she has her own collection with Frankies Bikinis) ... and is one of the biggest names in sports.

Osaka also made headlines this year by advocating for mental health awareness for athletes ... famously pulling out of the French Open and Wimbledon after revealing her struggles with depression.

The current #2-ranked female player in the world is now set to compete in front of her hometown fans at the Tokyo Olympics this month ... where she's a favorite to take home the gold medal.

S.I. Swim editor MJ Day spoke about the magazine's cover models ... saying, "If there's one thing that our cover models have in common, it's that they don't have one thing in common."

"They look different, have different upbringings, have different passions and inspirations. But each is a reminder that beauty comes in many forms."

"We celebrate Naomi for her passion, strength and power geared toward consistently breaking barriers when it comes to equality, social justice and mental health."

The other two models are also making history -- Meg is the first rapper to be featured on the cover, while Bloom is the first transgender model to get the honors.

The issue also includes several sports WAGs like Olivia Culpo, Camille Kostek, Kate Bock, Kristen Louelle and Christen Harper ... as well as other S.I. vets like Brooks Nader, Jasmine Sanders, Danielle Herrington and Josephine Skriver!!

Oh, and if that's not enough ... singer Tinashe is also in the mag!!

Serena Williams is eyeing a return to the tennis court in just a couple weeks ... so says her agent, Jill Smoller, who tells TMZ Sports the star is hoping to shake off her leg injury in time for the U.S. Open.

You'll recall ... Serena crumpled in pain at Wimbledon during her first-round match on June 29, and things did NOT look good for the 39-year-old.

She yelped as she hit the grass ... and broke down in tears as she left the court -- leaving many to wonder if she could possibly be done for the rest of the year.

But, when we got Smoller out in Los Angeles this week ... she told us Williams' recovery process is going well.

"She's doing great," Smoller said.

In fact, Smoller told us the hope is for Serena to be ready to go when the U.S. Open kicks off in New York on Aug. 30.

Tennis' G.O.A.T. will not be in Tokyo for this summer's Olympics ... 'cause Roger Federer has just pulled out of the event due to a knee injury.

The 39-year-old made the announcement Tuesday ... saying he's suffered a setback on his right knee -- the same knee he had procedures on back in 2020.

"During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games," Federer said.

"I am greatly disappointed, as it has been an honor and highlight of my career each time I have represented Switzerland."

Federer -- who just lost in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this month -- said he has already begun rehabbing and is clearly hoping to still participate in the U.S. Open in August.

"I have already begun rehabilitation in the hopes of returning to the tour later this summer," Federer said. "I wish the entire Swiss team the best of luck and I will be rooting hard from afar."

Federer has had big success in the Olympic in his career ... he won a gold medal in the doubles event at the 2008 Beijing Games and then a silver medal in the singles event in the 2012 London Games.

Federer did not compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics due to a knee injury.

The list of tennis stars who will not be in Tokyo this summer, meanwhile, is now growing rapidly ... in addition to Federer, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have all pulled out of the event.

If Sha'Carri Richardson and Naomi Osaka had any doubts about how much public support they're getting -- it's gone after the ESPY Awards, where host Anthony Mackie put a spotlight on them.

During his opening monologue, Mackie took a direct shot at U.S.A. Track & Field over its suspension of Richardson for a positive marijuana test. He joked, "The greatest celebration of sports is back! We up here on a rooftop in New York City. Man, we're so high they wouldn't let us compete in the Olympics."

The award show was held outdoors in NYC's Seaport district, and Mackie added, "How do you justify banning Sha'Carri Richardson for smoking weed? Weed is a de-hancing drug -- it doesn't make you do anything but want to watch another episode of 'Bob's Burgers.' You never saw Snoop Dogg run anywhere!"

The event was Sha'Carri's first public appearance since she got benched from the Olympics. Ditto for tennis superstar Osaka, who took home an award for Best Female Athlete.

But, even before she got the trophy, Mackie called out the World Tennis Association for not supporting her after she pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon due to mental health.

"I'm no tennis exec, I don't know, but if my sport had one of the most popular and marketable athletes on the planet, you know what I would do? I would probably make sure she felt comfortable and respected. But hey, what do I know, right? I'm just Captain America."

Interestingly, while Sha'Carri's shut out of the Olympics, Naomi will be there. She's playing tennis for Japan ... her mother's home country.

Nothing gets the blood going like a Wimbledon Finals match -- unless Ethan Freakin' Hunt himself stops by for a visit ... in which case, it's next to impossible not to strap in and HODL.

That's exactly what happened Saturday in London ... where none other than Tom Cruise himself dropped in for the ultimate round between tennis stars Ashleigh Barty and Karolína Plíšková ... with his 'M:I 7' leading lady costars, Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, in tow.

It's rumored Hayley and Tom are actually dating right now -- and based on their body language before and during the match ... that may very well be true. They seemed chummy.

Anyway, the cameo made for a lot of fanfare ... people gave it up for Tom and co., offering up rounds of applause and stopping for photo-ops, etc. Of course, TC was graceful -- waving to the crowd ... and looking dapper as hell doing it. What else would you expect, right?

Interestingly ... the dude didn't seem too concerned with masking up, and neither did his cast members (or the Wimbledon audience at large). That's fine though -- the Wimbledon folks' mask policy is like a lot of other event venues lately ... ya must provide proof of vaccination, or a recent negative COVID test -- plus, wear masks while roaming the grounds.

So, it's all kosher. And, thankfully, it is ... otherwise the love-all spectators might've gotten a taste of what the 'Mission: Impossible' crew did last year while breaking protocol on set.