The fans are calling, the tennis giants are predicting. Just don’t ask Naomi Osaka if she is the new Serena Williams.
Osaka is being hailed as the new tennis queen after winning his fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday night.
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THE The Japanese star dominated Jennifer Brady in the 6-4 6-3 win winning his second Australian Open title and improving his record in Grand Slam finals to 4-0.
In doing so, she became the first woman since Monica Seles, 30 years ago, to win her first four Grand Slam finals, a feat not even great as Serena and Venus Williams, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova have achieved.
With Serena turning 40 this year and four years without a Grand Slam title, many are calling Osaka the new face of women’s tennis.
The 23-year-old eliminated Serena from the Australian Open in the semifinals, a game that some believe is the last of the American champion in Melbourne Park.
But Osaka gave an emphatic four-word answer when asked about usurping Serena at her post-game press conference.
– A few weeks ago, you said that while she played, Serena was the face of tennis. Do you think this victory and maybe even the victory on Friday started to change that? Asked a reporter.
To which Osaka replied, “No. No way.”
The four-word answer was easily Osaka’s shortest in a 37-minute press conference, with all the other responses carefully considered and thought out.
Naomi Osaka looking for success in grass and clay
Osaka said she will not be overwhelmed by “pressure and expectation” after her latest triumph has sparked rumors that she would become a big double-digit winner.
After his victory on Saturday night, great tennis Mats Wilander said that Osaka can win 10 Grand Slams “at least”.
“I’m picking up sections. For now, I’m trying to make five,” said Osaka when asked about Wilander’s comment.
“After five, I would think about maybe dividing the ten, then maybe seven or eight.”
“I don’t like to see things broadly. For me, I like to live in the moment.
“It’s an honor that he said that. But I don’t want to be burdened by pressure and expectations.”
Osaka proved to be irresistible on hard courts, after winning twice in Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows.
But she has been fighting elsewhere, having never passed the third round on the French Open clay court or on the grass courts at Wimbledon.
“I feel like I have to be comfortable on those surfaces,” she said.
“I didn’t grow up playing on the grass.
“Honestly, I think I would have better luck on clay, because I don’t think I played badly last year.”
However, when asked where she was most likely to win her first Grand Slam off the hard court, Osaka said, “Hopefully on clay, because it is the first.”
with agencies
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