The Press Stories
In the Grand Slam final, no one can oppose him: especially after a successful fifteen days, Naomi Osaka (N.3) will try to defend her invincibility at the Australian Open on Saturday (from 9:30 am French time). Newcomer Jennifer Brady.
So far, the 23-year-old Japanese has won three major finals he has played in: the 2018 and 2020 US Open and the 2019 Australian Open.
As illustrated by the two figures, the big cases pass it by.
When he crosses the knockout stages of a Grand Slam match, he systematically wins.
Of the six trophies that have achieved its record since its release in 2018, half are major competitions.
How does she explain her perfect ratio in the main final?
Since “I’ve only played three”, she tries in a soft voice at first.
Before continuing even more seriously: “In my mind, people don’t remember the finalists. Only the name of the winner is engraved. “
“I fight so hard in the final, and that’s where you stand alone,” he insists.
Brady (24th), two years older than Osaka, recalled the first time he faced the Japanese in a small match in Florida.
– “Special” –
“She and her sister (Mari) were playing. I think she made it into the top 200. I told myself: + Wow, she has a big ball strike and she’s going to be strong! She has something special, ”he recalled.
American Naomi describes Osaka today, saying, “She’s got you in 45 seconds, and she’s putting a lot of pressure on you to serve her.” She’s developing a lot of energy. It makes you aggressive and attack first. He adds.
If Osaka had been born young, Brady – who introduced his siblings’ “game genes” when his twin sister was a “nerd” – would have had a long history with tennis.
“All the coaches I had in the juniors said I had the energy to become a better player,” he recalls, “but I really don’t appreciate the opportunities the game has given me.”
“I trained because I had nothing else and I didn’t know what else to do,” the American continues.
“I didn’t win a lot of junior tournaments, I suffered,” he adds. I thought: + Maybe I’m not strong enough and not made for this game. I am going to go to university for four years and then I will look for a real job. + “
– New perspective –
Until last year she began to believe it.
“I had some good wins at the start of the season, and training with the best players made me realize they didn’t hit the ball hard, and they didn’t do anything so wonderful in reporting it to me,” says Brady.
This new perspective brought him to the last four places of the US Open last September. Precisely against Osaka.
On his way to his third big crown, the Japanese came out on top in three sets (7-6, 3-6, 6-3).
“This is one of my most memorable matches. Osaka recalled, “It was no surprise to see Brady again on the last lap in Melbourne.
“There will be times, games, points I’m going to think about: + Wow, that might be my first Grand Slam title, but the idea is to try to control these emotions,” the American expects.
Already, he is confirmed to be in the top 20 in the Australian Fifteen Days.
Osaka, who looks like a supporter of the women’s circle, will approach it if he marches to the throne he has already occupied for 25 weeks in 2019.
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