Naomi Osaka has been a sensation the likes of which women’s tennis has been craving for a long long time.
While the men’s section has had the rule of Big Three for nearly two decades now, Women’s tennis has struggled to find a regular winner of slams barring the legendary Serena Williams. But, now with the rise of Naomi Osaka, a winner of 4 grand slams, it does look as if a new star for women’s tennis is born.
But like any sportsperson, Naomi Osaka’s ultimate dream remains Olympic glory, an achievement she may well get in this year’s Tokyo Olympic games.
Naomi Osaka’s dream of an Olympic gold-
Having won the last two tennis majors played on hard courts, you can’t blame Osaka Naomi for dreaming big dreams when it comes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021.
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“For me, it’s always been a dream of mine,” Osaka told ITF Tennis in a recent interview. “I have allowed myself to dream that dream of winning the gold medal.”
The Olympic Games in Tokyo are set to be played on the same surface as the U.S. and Australian Opens, where Naomi Osaka has triumphed – twice. She won her third and fourth majors, respectively, in the last seven months, capturing the USO in September and the AO in February.
Add to it,the factor of Japan being Naomi’s home country and the event ends up becoming even more special and close to heart ofr the 4 time major winner.
“I’m really looking forward to competing in the Olympics. Representing Japan really means a lot to me. … It’s definitely really exciting; it’s one of my life goals,” she said in a video interview, which was conducted at a WTA event in Miami last month.
“It’s [not going] to be easy,” she said. “It’s not even July yet, so I’m just going to chill.”
The Games are set to get underway on 23 July, with tennis taking place in the first week. The 64 players in the singles draw will be confirmed in late June, but Osaka has her ticket all but punched as a top-tier player.
“My most outstanding memory is just watching Bolt run”
In the last several years, Naomi Osaka has become a national sporting hero in Japan, where she was born to a Japanese mother and Haitian father.
“As a kid, you wake up and watch your favorite athletes play [in the Games],” said Osaka, who spent much of her childhood in the U.S. “My most outstanding Olympic memory is just watching [Usain] Bolt run. He’s my favourite athlete; me and my whole family. My dad loves his running, so we would just watch him.”
Osaka is the current world No.2 on the WTA, with seven singles titles to her name.
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