The Haitian Naomi Osaka validated her ticket to the final of the Australian Open thanks to a victory (6-3, 6-4) over her idol Serena Williams. She will face American Jennifer Brady in the final, who will play her first Grand Slam Final at the age of 24.
Naomi Osaka, No. 3 World, won (6-3, 6-4) on Thursday against Serena Williams (11′). She will face American Jennifer Brady in the final, who won against Czech Karolina Muchova (6-4, 3-6, 6-4). Facing the press, the Japanese tried to explain the reasons for her success in the Grand Slam final. “I have this mentality, people don’t remember the finalists. The winner’s name is the one that is engraved. I think I’m fighting as hard as I can in the final.That’s where you kind of stand out. This is the biggest fight,” she said.
Naomi Osaka, 24, says she has become stronger psychologically. “I used to have ups and downs. I had a lot of doubts about myself. But the quarantine, and everything that’s going on in the world, has allowed me to put things in perspective. I used to measure my existence by my tennis victories.Now I’ve opened up to my team. I have long conversations with Wim (Fissette, his coach) before entering the court. I tell her how nervous I am, instead of shutting me down and trying to manage her on my own. Now I feel confident as a person and I know that people who love me, like my family, will always love me even if I lose a tennis game,” she said.
For the final, the young woman expects a difficult match because she has already played against her next opponent Jennifer Brady. “I played it in the semifinals at the US Open. It remains a memorable match with a very high quality of tennis throughout. For me, it is not really surprising to see her arrive at this stage. It will still be a difficult match to play,” she said.
In a post-game press conference, 39-year-old Serena Williams appeared very disappointed, leaving the rest of her career in doubt. “If I ever say good-bye, I won’t tell anyone, so…,” she said. When she left the court, she greeted the audience with a hand over her heart as a farewell.
