Naomi Osaka takes on Iga Swiatek in what is sure to be an excellent WTA final in Miami. The current wWrld #1 takes on the former World #1, who is getting back into form. Osaka dominated the hard courts over the past few years. Swiatek has dominated this year, making it to her third WTA 1000 final in three events in 2022, winning both previous finals. Osaka has yet to win a title this year, but at her peak she is still arguably the player to beat on a hard court.
WTA Miami Final Prediction
Naomi Osaka vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: Osaka 1-0
Naomi Osaka has rebounded strongly from an early Indian Wells loss. She has looked in peak form in Miami, not dropping a set until her semifinal against Belinda Bencic. She played strong opponents, such as Angelique Kerber and Danielle Collins, so her road to the final was certainly not easy. While Osaka has struggled with inconsistency as well as mental health, she is showing what she can do when playing her best tennis. There is a reason that Osaka has won four hard court Grand Slams, and those skills have been on full display this week.
Swiatek has established herself this year as one of, if not the best, hard court players in the world. She reached the semifinal of the Australian Open and has been nearly unbeatable since. Swiatek has won 16 consecutive matches, including titles in Doha and Indian Wells. While her early success came on clay, her defensive style and brilliant shot control has led her to the current hard court dominance. Osaka has dropped just one set this week. Swiatek has done her one better by winning every set in Miami.
This match could truly go either way, especially with the clash of styles. Osaka is all about power in her serve and groundstrokes, while Swiatek relies more on finesse and pinpoint accuracy with her shots. Swiatek’s best chance to win will be using her backhand to get Osaka off balance and force her off her game and into errors. Osaka will have to hit through Swiatek and make it hard for her to defend against the power.
It is hard to know if Osaka will find her top form because she has not been in this position for some time. This match is as close as a toss up as there is in tennis, with probably the two best players in the game at their peak competing for the trophy. Swiatek has been brilliant this year but will have to lose eventually. With Osaka playing like her old self, she is near unbeatable and will capture her first title in over a year.
Prediction: Osaka in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
