A 21-year-old woman has achieved a feat that deserves special mention in the history of Japanese sports.
Naomi Osaka won the women's singles title at the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slams in tennis. With her latest victory, it has been confirmed that Osaka will become the world's No. 1 singles player. It is an outstanding achievement that a Japanese player, male or female, has reached No. 1 in the rankings for the first time.
In the final, Osaka played Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic. The match turned out to be a fierce battle worthy of a showdown between top players, with the winner becoming the world No. 1.
Osaka attacked Kvitova aggressively, coming very close to winning the match in the second set. But Kvitova made her tenacious desire to win felt with her counterattacks after she was driven into a corner.
Also brilliant were the counterattacks by Osaka, which pulled the direction of the match back toward her. This performance was made possible by Osaka's strong mental power -- she never lost her composure. This probably explains the amazing progress made by Osaka, who was ranked 72nd a year ago when the 2018 Australian Open started.
She has also made steady progress in the technical aspects of her game. In addition to beating her opponent with her characteristic powerful serve, Osaka won rallies with her tenacity. Osaka's ability to adjust to Kvitova's serve, which has the particular characteristics of a lefty, was splendid.
Foster global level athletes
Not to be overlooked in Osaka's remarkable advance is the presence of her multinational team, including Sascha Bajin of Germany, who became her coach last year. Rather than unilaterally instructing her, Bajin has built a relationship of trust with Osaka and been flexible in bringing out her ability.
Their player-coach relationship can be considered an ideal one in the current era.
Osaka has won her second straight Grand Slam title, following her singles title at the U.S. Open last year. The women's tennis world gave the appearance of a fierce rivalry among top players, but Osaka now seems to stand unrivaled among them.
It is perfectly possible that the "era of Osaka" will continue for some time, but other players will without doubt confront Osaka by researching her as much as possible. Given her age, Osaka has significant potential for growth, and it is hoped that she will aim to improve herself further.
Osaka's father came from Haiti and her mother is Japanese, and she was brought up in the United States. Both her tremendous plays in tennis and her playful personality are part of her appeal.
Although she speaks English more fluently than she does Japanese, most Japanese people felt warmly toward Osaka and strongly supported her. She seems to possess the kind of star potential only seen in the global era.
In the world of Japanese sports, there have been great advances in recent years in individual events in such genres as figure skating, table tennis and badminton, in addition to tennis.
Should their profile rise, the number of sponsor companies will increase, and the base of their sports events will also grow. For the development of sports events, it is crucial to foster athletes who can make a spectacular showing on the global stage.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 28, 2019)
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