Chinese Li Na, a two-time Grand Slam winner, has experienced what the new US Open winner Naomi Osaka from Japan is about to experience: to be a folk heroine.
Li Na had somehow already suspected it when she was asked about the upcoming Princess of Tennis at a Laureus event about two months ago. The 2011 French Open winner and Australian Open winner of 2014 didn’t have to think twice and said in a chest note of conviction: “I choose Naomi Osaka. I think she’s very good and she’ll be the new superstar.”
Li Na was completely right. After her 6-2, 6-4 final victory in the turbulent final of Flushing Meadows against Serena Williams (USA), Osaka has become a national hero in her real home country. The 20-year-old only speaks broken Japanese and therefore prefers to answer in English. At the age of three she moved with her family to the USA.
Even before her departure from New York, the new world ranking seventh was asked if she was prepared for what awaited her on arrival in Tokyo. “Apparently not, or people wouldn’t keep asking me about it,” Osaka replied dryly – and smiled.
The Big Apple Champion is to be one of the faces for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. A lot of pressure for a young woman who is very shy – at least outside the court. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tweetted after the Osaka triumph at the last major of the year: “Thank you for giving all of Japan your energy and inspiration.
Maybe Osaka will get some advice from Li Na. The 36-year-old was the first Chinese Grand Slam winner to go down in tennis history in 2011.
Around 125 million compatriots watched their triumph at the French Open on Stade Roland Garros live on TV at midnight local time in China. 400 million saw the summaries on the next morning’s news. Three years later, the headstrong Li Na also won the Australian Open – and thus finally became the celebrated megastar in the Middle Kingdom.