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 immediately’s French Open opener and earn her first main match win because the 2022 Australian Open.
It’s Osaka’s first main match win since turning into a mother—she gave start 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 immediately.
Osaka stated it will likely be “a really large 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 quite a bit after I was pregnant. “And truthfully, I feel 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 large honor and problem for me.”
The highest-seeded Swiatek carries an imposing 77-10 profession clay-court file 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 will likely be their third profession assembly.
Of their final conflict, Swiatek swept Osaka 6-4, 6-0 within the 2022 Miami Open closing.
Although Osaka has by no means contested a clay-court closing, she stated she will not be in awe of Swiatek’s excellent clay credentials in the event that they face off.
“Um, in a bizarre approach, I undoubtedly 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 larger schooling.
After the second-seeded Swiatek streaked by means of seven straight video games crushing Osaka 6-4, 6-0 within the 2022 Miami Open closing, the four-time main champion recalled breaking bread with a teenage Swiatek and inspiring her to proceed competing on the professional tour quite than go to school.
“A pair years in the past, I had a dinner together with her in Australia, and he or she was telling me like she may 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 feel essentially the most spectacular factor is like having 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 fully lifeless after that. However she’s like, it appears she retains going. In order that’s actually superb to see. I feel that she’s like actually superb for the game.”
Although Swiatek is a powerful 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 of greater than eight months after giving start.
Photograph credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
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