If there was any more doubt about the rising star power of Naomi Osaka’s ability, they were sure laid to rest this past weekend. The 23-year-old tennis players playing the best matches of her career, extending her 21 match win streak after the Australian Open. Naomi Osaka swept through the tournament and securing her 7th singles career title and 4th major title. In a game of skill, Osaka proves she has more than enough to go the distance. Currently ranked No. 2 in the world, the era of Naomi Osaka is upon us.
The Australian Open, one of the four major tournaments that are held this year, took place this past month. In a tournament filled with some of the best-ranked players, Osaka had her work cut out for her. In the semi-finals, Naomi Osaka faced off against the greatest tennis player of all time, Serena Williams. While both champions played their heart out, the young and energy of Naomi Osaka just got to be too much for the aging icon of Serena Williams.
Naomi pushed her way up the charts to secure her place in the world. Although the best, Naomi isn’t without mistakes and errors. In the fourth round of the Australian Open, Naomi overcame a 5-3 deficit to clinch the round against two-time grand slam champion Garbine Muguruza. It shows even at the height of glory, sometimes even star trip up.
As clearly the new face of tennis, Naomi Osaka doesn’t seem fazed by the glory and fame that comes with it.
“Honestly, I don’t really think too much about it,” she said on Sunday. “For me, I just focus on myself and what I can do. So I don’t really put too much pressure on myself in that way.”
With the Australian Open now in the past, many are wondering how Naomi Osaka’s triumph will playout for the rest of the year. There’s still a lot of matches to be played and great matchups that could come with it. At just 23 years old, Naomi Osaka is knocking on the door of greatest. Naomi Osaka has stressed her importance of getting better and more conditioned in the coming months.
“For me, I don’t play the most tournaments in the tour,” she said. “I just want to do well in all of the tournaments that I play. That’s my goal – to be consistent this year, not to have a huge drop-off randomly in the middle section like June, July, how I usually do.”
Naomi Osaka is the perfect athlete for the new generation. The way she carries herself shows there’s more to her than many thought. Never to shy away from her roots, Naomi continues to dazzle on and off the court. With Naomi the face of a younger generation interested in tennis, nothing can be done to bring her down.
