Serena Williams was the first obstacle: Naomi Osaka is a great sporting promise
The Japanese tennis player, winner of the US Open 2018, can become the new world tennis figure
The sports world was shook after the Japanese Naomi Osaka became, with Serena Williams as her victim, champion of the United States Open, crown that also transformed her, with just 20 years, the first monarch of that nation without distinction of gender, in winning a Grand Slam of tennis.
That is why, from that impressive victory, from Latinamerican Post we tell you where Naomi comes from and where she could go in her career as a professional tennis player.
Japanese, Haitian, or North American?
Today, globalization manifests itself in many ways. Among them, there is race mix. One of the cases is that of the Japanese Naomi Osaka, born in Osaka, Japan, in the year 1997, of Japanese mother, Haitian father, and inhabitant of the United States.
As explained by the same tennis player, in a special published by the newspaper El País, she is a shy and humble girl, fruit of the relationship between a Haitian (Leonard Francois) and a Japanese (Tamaki). "Although I grew up in a Haitian house, my mother is Japanese, so I also grew up in Japanese culture. But I suppose that since I lived in America, I also have that part", says the athlete.
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Tennis in her veins
What it is certain is that Naomi has tennis in her veins, because the importance of this discipline in a city like New York is undeniable. It was in that city, where the young woman developed all her training and professionalization process.
Clarin of Argentina affirms that the fact of covering her eyes with a towel to mourn as Naomi did after defeating Serena, was nothing other than the pain of having beaten New York's referent before all her fanaticada
"The fact that Serena was the big favorite for the New York fans, led Naomi to cover her face and cry. It was not a crazy celebration, because she respected at all times the rival who she had just defeated".
A promising future
Although it is difficult to predict where the career of a professional athlete can go, there are two realities that can clearly set the tone for Osaka's future:
- Her young age
- Her Japanese roots, synonymous with discipline and commitment
As the Clarín says, although the consecration in New York was just the second title in her career, it is good to remember that she obtained her first victory just six months earlier, also on American soil, in Indian Wells.
"Osaka is pure talent, she hurts with its service, it feels safe with its backhand and it imposes conditions every time it manages to play with its right, reasons that assume that what can come is a race full of success in the future", says Clarín newspaper.
Japan's success story
It is clear that there are several specific cases of Japanese athletes, which details Comex Master. Due to her quality and long career, we can see that, if she manages to emulate them, Naomi can be very successful and leave a great mark for world tennis. They are:
- Ichiro Suzuki, Major League Baseball star, active with the Seattle Mariners at 44 years old. The only player to get 200 hits for 10 consecutive seasons, plus more hits in one campaign (262).
- Hidetoshi Nakata, player of three world-wide with the Japanese selection and by several seasons soccer player of Italian Serie A, champion of a scudeto with Rome.
- Kei Nishikori, winner of 11 titles of the ATP, and who at some point was number 4 in the ranking, winning bronze in the Olympic Games of Rio 2016 and being for many the best Asian tennis player in history.
LatinAmerican Post | Freddy González
Translated from "Serena Williams fue el primer obstáculo: Naomi Osaka es una gran promesa deportiva"
