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Naomi Osaka’s Rapper Boyfriend Didn’t Know She Was A Championship Tennis Player

"It's not my sport," Cordae explains.

Naomi Osaka’s rapper boyfriend, Cordae, is revealing that he didn’t know much about her tennis game before they began dating.

Cordae, 23 , who along with Osaka, 23 ,covered GQ’s Modern Love issue, says they learned more about each other’s professions after they began dating.

The couple began dating two years ago, nearly a year before going public. The couple, who live in Beverly Hills, say their first date was a Los Angeles Clippers game. 

"I just remember seeing that there were so many people who wanted to take a picture with him,” Osaka recalled. “And I just thought it was really cool how friendly and welcoming he was with everyone.”

RELATED: Naomi Osaka Says Romantic Bday Vacation With Boyfriend Cordae 'Feels Like A Movie'

Cordae, on the other hand, admitted he knew Osaka was famous, but didn’t exactly know what for at the time.

"It's not my sport," the rapper said. "If you asked me about tennis, before being immersed in it because of Naomi, I could only give you Venus and Serena Williams, you know? Because they're just a part of the culture."

Additionally, Cordae said he “felt really out of place” when he cheered on his girlfriend during the 2019 U.S. Open.

"I don't know if I ever told Naomi this or not, but I felt really out of place,” he said. “Like, that was my first time being in an environment like that in my entire life.” He also added that it was the first tennis match he’d ever been to.

As for work styles, Osaka said there was an adjustment period in the "beginning" of their relationship.

"I start super early in the morning, and then I end late afternoon,” she told the magazine. “But I feel like for him everything starts at night. So it was kind of hard to adjust to that in the beginning. But when I did, I felt pretty comfortable.”

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