By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, Could 26, 2024
Proud mother Naomi Osaka is celebrating daughter Shai’s first child steps.
Osaka is worked up about an impending main leap: the prospect of taking part in world No.1 Iga Swiatek within the Roland Garros second spherical.
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World No. 134 Osaka tamed spiking nerve and a biting breeze, recovering from shedding 5 video games in a row, to beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in as we speak’s French Open opener and earn her first main match win for the reason that 2022 Australian Open.
It’s Osaka’s first main match win since turning into a mother—she gave beginning to child Shai on July seventh—
and units up a possible blockbuster conflict of four-time Grand Slam champions within the second spherical.
If reigning champion Swiatek defeats 148th-ranked French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean in her opener, then we’ll see the present and former world No. 1 champions sq. off in spherical as we speak.
Osaka stated it is going to be “a really massive honor and problem” to face clay queen Swiatek on her greatest floor.
“I am truthfully actually excited,” Osaka stated when requested concerning the prospect of taking part in Swiatek. “I watched her lots after I was pregnant. “And truthfully, I believe it is an honor to play her within the French Open, as a result of she’s gained greater than as soon as right here, for positive. I’ll, it is like a really massive honor and problem for me.”
The highest-seeded Swiatek carries an imposing 77-10 profession clay-court report into her Roland Garros title protection, together with an outstanding 14-1 clay mark this season capturing back-to-back WTA 1000 championships in Madrid and Rome.
If the champions showdown comes off as anticipated, it is going to be their third profession assembly.
Of their final conflict, Swiatek swept Osaka 6-4, 6-0 within the 2022 Miami Open last.
Although Osaka has by no means contested a clay-court last, she stated she will not be in awe of Swiatek’s very good clay credentials in the event that they face off.
“Um, in a bizarre method, I positively do really feel prefer it’s a take a look at to see the place I am at, however I would not say I’ve low expectations of myself,” Osaka stated of a Swiatek showdown. “I am an individual that type of thinks that I can win each match that I play. That is type of gotten me this far.”
The 26-year-old Osaka is a scholar of the game who as soon as dissuaded Swiatek from pursuing greater training.
After the second-seeded Swiatek streaked by seven straight video games crushing Osaka 6-4, 6-0 within the 2022 Miami Open last, the four-time main champion recalled breaking bread with a teenage Swiatek and inspiring her to proceed competing on the professional tour moderately than go to school.
“A pair years in the past, I had a dinner together with her in Australia, and she or he was telling me like she would possibly go to school. I used to be telling her, Do not try this,” Osaka instructed the media in Miami. “It has been actually cool to look at her develop. For me, I believe essentially the most spectacular factor is like with the ability to string collectively these two wins in a row.
“Not even back-to-back-to-back wins however going from Indian Wells and like even attending to the quarters of this match to me could be spectacular, as a result of I personally know, like, how tiring it was. I needed to play Serena proper after I gained Indian Wells, after which I used to be utterly lifeless after that. However she’s like, it appears she retains going. In order that’s actually wonderful to see. I believe that she’s like actually wonderful for the game.”
Although Swiatek is a robust favourite in the event that they meet within the second spherical, it might be particular for the game and main step ahead for Osaka a bit greater than eight months after giving beginning.
Picture credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty