Osaka made a winning start to her Toronto run and then helped a fellow mom.
Naomi Osaka didn’t only have a great day at the office on Wednesday in Toronto but she was also able to help someone after a fellow mom asked her for some advice and the Japanese tennis star was able to help.
In her return to the National Bank Open, Osaka put up a vintage performance to storm past three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur 6-3 6-1 in just over an hour of play. Those who paid a ticket for the match probably didn’t get the battle they were expecting between two big stars but Osaka still made sure to make it a memorable experience for the crowd.
After conducting her on-court interview, 26-year-old Osaka stayed on the court for more than 20 minutes, signing autographs and taking numerous selfies with fans – which is way more time than players usually reserve for fans. And since there were many kids who were made happy by Osaka’s gesture, the four-time Grand Slam champion – who welcomed her daughter Shai last summer – she was asked about the deeper meaning behind her action.
“I mean, I think for me, representation is really important. I’ve thought that way since I was younger. I know I wouldn’t be here without my role models, Serena and Venus. Just to, I guess, blaze that path for other kids is really cool,” Osaka said.
“I was talking with someone about this the other day, but since becoming a mom I think the word ‘role model’ has always been heavy to me, but now it’s like I’m looking at kids looking at me and saying that I’m their favorite player, and knowing that they have a parent behind them that’s kind of trusting me with that is really huge. If I think about shy, like, having a poster of a player, then I’m going to like do a lot of research on that person, so I really feel the trust and I think it definitely means a lot to me, so I try to pay it back.”
Osaka: I felt a little shocked but I managed to help a mom
Since announcing her pregnancy in 2023 January, Osaka has been pretty open about her experience and journey of becoming a mom. And while having Shai made Osaka determined to return to being one of the best players in the world and make her daughter proud, it is not a secret that there are several challenges to overcome after returning from maternity leave because it’s a long absence.
After arriving in Toronto, Osaka admitted that it took her some time before she started feeling comfortable in her body again. And after her big win over Jabeur, she had a mom who was “having a tough time” ask her something.
“I think, well, today while I was signing autographs a mom talked to me, and she said that she was having a tough time, and something that I said on court really helped her out. For me it’s definitely an honor,” Osaka said.
“I don’t know, I still feel like I’m figuring myself out, so I’m always a little shocked when someone says that something that I’ve said or done has helped them out, but I really treasure that a lot. I think we’re all just trying to get through it, and we’re all just trying to find the best way that we know how and, yeah, it’s a really big honor for me.”
Osaka also had a message for an eight-year-old fan
Toward the end of Osaka’s press conference, a reporter told the Japanese former world No. 1 that an eight-year-old girl who was her had a question for her. And that little fan wanted to know how it feels “to play and win” tennis matches.
“I mean, for me it feels like a lot of hard work has paid off, and it feels like there’s been definitely a lot of sacrifice. She’s eight, so let me choose a simpler answer (smiling). It feels like … do you care about hard work when you’re eight? Yeah, hard work’s paid off and it feels like, you know, you’re taking one step, one step into the journey of like becoming a professional tennis player,” Osaka explained.
For a place in the Toronto round-of-16, Osaka will play against Elise Mertens, against whom she owns a 4-2 head-to-head record. Earlier this year, Mertens beat Osaka on the hard courts of Indian Wells but the Japanese ended on the winning side when they met during this past grass season.
Considering how well Osaka looked against Jabeur, it is fair to say that she is the favorite and has a good chance to beating Mertens.
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