Naomi Osaka’s (Japan) incredible success throughout her career has been built on hard courts, with all the Japanese star’s titles coming on that surface. The four-time Grand Slam champion’s chances at the Paris Olympics are also complicated by four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek’s (Poland) dominance at Roland-Garros. But there are reasons for Osaka to be confident heading into the event. This article gives three sources of optimism for the 26-year-old as she seeks to challenge in Paris.
Why Naomi Osaka Can Challenge For a Gold Medal At the Paris Olympics
1. The Number of Players who Have Withdrawn From the Women’s Singles
The draw for the women’s singles at the games is strong overall. US Open champion Coco Gauff (USA) and this year’s French Open and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini (Italy) are players who will try and challenge Swiatek. However, several top women’s players have elected to withdraw from the Paris Olympics. The most notable examples are Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka (Individual Neutral Athletes), 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) and Ons Jabeur (Tunisia).
Osaka will take no opponent for granted, especially outside hard courts. In the opening round, she faces three-time Major champion Angelique Kerber, who will retire after the Paris Olympics. That blockbuster draw is one of the five best women’s first-round matches. But there is no doubt some of the highest-ranked players not playing at the event helps Osaka. If her powerful brand of tennis finds its range, she will be confident of overwhelming most of the women in the draw.
2. Osaka Came so Close to Beating Swiatek at the French Open
Osaka’s second-round battle with Swiatek at this year’s French Open was one of the matches of the season so far. She held a match point against the Pole in the third set, but the world No. 1 somehow clawed her way back to win. No other player came close to stopping Swiatek from claiming her fourth title at Roland-Garros after that.
The two-time US Open champion is undoubtedly still the underdog against Swiatek on clay like all players are. She played incredibly against the 23-year-old in their last meeting and still lost the match. But the former world No. 1 proved her best level is capable of beating Swiatek. Throughout the second set and much of the third, Osaka was simply unplayable, and there was nothing Swiatek could do to stop her. That shows her blistering brand of tennis is one of the biggest threats to the five-time major champion at the Paris Olympics.
3. Osaka’s Mindset and Dedication to Improving on Clay
Osaka struggled with mental health issues before she took a year off from the sport on maternity leave. She seems to be in a much happier and more content place since returning to tennis. Her positive body language on the court and thoughtful answers during interviews and press conferences have been great to observe.
That mentality may help explain her commitment to clay-court tournaments. Some expected Osaka to skip the Paris Olympics to prepare for the North American hard court season, which is a period of the year she has thrived at in the past. Yet, the 26-year-old has decided to try and win a medal at the games. She played a full clay-court season in April and May, including a WTA-250 event in Rouen, showing her dedication to enhancing her game on the dirt.
That effort brought positive results like defeating Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina in Madrid and coming so close to shocking Swiatek. Osaka has gotten better on clay, and her opponents will find it tough if she makes further improvements at the Paris Olympics.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
