Naomi Osaka Australian Open
Naomi Osaka, the defending champion overcame a setback in the second set to beat American Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-4, and advance to the third round of the Australian Open Wednesday.
Osaka served beautifully and faced no breakpoints. She recovered strongly to win the first set in 20 minutes while Brengle had just nine points.
Naomi Osaka VS Madison Brengle
The crowd at Rod Laver Arena erupted in cheers as the 54th-ranked Brengle, 31, won her opening service game of the second set as Osaka’s game faltered.
When she broke serve again on her first match point in the set, the two-time U.S. Open champion regained control and sealed the victory after 65 minutes.
She could face off with world No.1 Ashleigh Barty in the quarterfinals.
Naomi Osaka played Madison Brengle to advance to 3rd round of the Australian Open. Photo/Sportskeeda
Barty and Anisimova will face each other in the second round of the tournament, with the possibility of a second Australian Open final for the 24-year-old Japanese.
Naomi Osaka Comeback After Tennis Break in 2021
Last year, Naomi Osaka had to take a break from the court due to injury. She’s acting as though she’s trying to make up the ground she’s lost.
In her mind, it doesn’t work that way. However, the methodical manner in which she dismantled Brengle in the opening set is a new standard for the sport.
For the 2021 season, Osaka has not had it easy on the court. It’s been a trying time for her.
Osaka pulled off from the French Open and the Wimbledon citing her mental health was at stake.
At the U.S Open, her resilience was pushed even harder when she lost to World number 73 Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez, she was devastated.
The 18-year-old Canadian thrashed Osaka despite never having played in the Grand Slam.
Her thrashing by Fernandez – 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4 – at Flushing Meadows in the U.S Open pushed her to more pain.
The third-round defeat in the U.S Open came with a barrage of mixed feelings for Osaka. And this compounded her decision to take a break from tennis.
“I feel like for me, recently, when I win, I don’t feel happy, I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad,” she told the press after the match.
An emotional Osaka opined that she is at a point in life caught up between a rock and hard place wondering what to do.
Adding that she doesn’t know when she will play her next match, she offered, “I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.”
NAOMI OSAKA’S LOSS IN WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN
In August, Osaka suffered a humiliating defeat from Jil Teichmann in the Western & Southern Open. Jil thrashed Osaka 3-6 6-3 6-3 on the court.
Speaking of her loss, she said that she did her best and would sleep comfortably at night.
The Western & Southern Open was her first major appearance this year after her withdrawal from French Open early in the year.
While explaining why she opted to walk away from French Open, she said that her mental health is at stake.
NAOMI OSAKA BATTLE WITH DEPRESSION
Her decision to stay out of the French Open in the second round and in Wimbledon was the culmination of a three-year journey with depression.
Osaka broke down during the press conference in Cincinnati. The presser was emotional to her and she seemed to try and control herself in order to deliver her speech.
She left the room, before returning after several minutes. She cited that the main reason for her withdrawal from the French Open was her mental health.
She also confessed to battling anxiety episodes before meeting the media which topped to her depression. The losses she suffered in the last months nearly pushed her to the edge.
Sep 3, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan gestures after missing a shot against Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada (not pictured) on day five of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Photo/Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
DEALING WITH PRESS, SOCIAL MEDIA INSENSITIVITY
With such a challenging year, Osaka has had to deal with insensitivity by the press and fans on social media.
This criticism is one of the reasons she ended up depressed.
Roger Federer in September 2021 asked the press and social media fans to go slow on tennis players.
Federer who acknowledged how hard it is to fight such kind of insensitivity noted that Osaka has had it rough.
The World No. 9 player says that time to correct these wrongs is now calling for more harmony between reporters and players.
Federer maintains that improved relationship by both parties is the first step to chart a better path for players to handle tennis stress better.
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