WTA: WTA: Player of the Year, Candidate Five – Naomi Osaka

The tennisnet.com editorial team picks its candidates for the players of the year on the ATP and WTA Tour. We’ll start with the ladies. Today: Naomi Osaka.

“I’m going to dodge the actual question a little, I’m sorry. I know everyone was just cheering her on, I’m sorry it had to end this way. But thank you all for watching the match.”

The biggest triumph in Naomi Osaka’s career ended in one of the biggest controversies of the tennis season. The 21-year-old woman from the city of the same name beat her greatest idol on the world’s biggest tennis stage with one of her greatest performances ever – against the greatest player of all time.

But she wouldn’t be Naomi Osaka if she hadn’t skilfully relaxed this tense moment at the award ceremony of the women’s final of the US Open 2018.

“She sacrificed so much for me,” she said seconds after her moving introduction. “It means a lot to me when she travels that far to see my matches because she doesn’t usually do that anyway.”

She had the laughs in Arthur Ashe Stadium on her side, and she added one more: “He who is still missing is my father, but he can never sit still, but always goes up and down like wild. I’ll see him later.”

Under her trainer Sasha Bajin, Osaka developed into an absolute top player. As number 68 of the world she started into the year and made up 63 places by winning her first two WTA titles.

First she won the Premier Mandatory Event of Indian Wells in a sovereign manner. With Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska she beat two absolute top players clearly, then Daria Kassatkina and Karlina Pliskova left only five, the world number one Simona Halep only three games. On her way to the title, she only gave one sentence.

Around five and a half months followed with the victory in New York the absolute highlight. “It was always my dream to play against Serena in the final of the US Open. I am very happy that I have achieved this,” she said at the award ceremony.

Then Osaka turned in the direction of the 23-time Grand Slam winner Williams and stressed again: “I am so grateful to have played against you”. With a short bow she added a “Thank you very much”. All big during the match, even bigger afterwards.

The two tournament victories face four first-round defeats, three of them at other Premier Mandatory tournaments. In her first appearance at the WTA Finals, she did not manage a single victory, she even had to give up against Kiki Bertens after a long season.

A bitter aftertaste to a great year, which she herself comments on Instagram as follows: “2018 was a truly crazy year for me. It was full of ups and downs and many new emotions came over me that I didn’t know before. Personally, I can only hope that every year I become more mature and learn from my experiences.”

And he continues: “I think life consists of more than just a tournament. Without wanting to appear arrogant: I expect myself not only to win a Grand Slam in my career.” If Osaka implements this intention, it can also be expected in 2019. And she’ll get the rejoicing she deserves.