I Try Not to Overthink It After Mental Health Break Naomi Osaka Just Keeps Winning
Naomi Osaka circled her neck while hopping up and down on Monday morning in Tokyo, moments before the start her second round Olympic match against Switzerlandâs Viktorija Golubic. She was loosening up, and sure seemed plenty loose while unleashing those 105 miles per-hours serves soon after.
Osaka, who plays for Japan and received the high honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Opening Ceremonies Friday night, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 over Golubic, a 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, on Monday to move into the third round.
She still has plenty of work to do before an Olympic gold medal hangs around her neck. But, itâs hard to imagine her high-profile break from tennis that began at the French Open in May working out any better. On the court, her game looks as crisp as ever. At 2-2 in the first set Osaka ripped two backhand winners down the left baseline, developing a sweet spot that left Golubic helpless. Courteous as ever, Osaka yelled âIâm sorryâ when a ball she lofted in the air for a serve wasnât to her liking, forcing a do-over.
Up 4-3 in the first set with Goublic on serve, Osaka unleashed a nasty cross-court backhand winner that felt like a potential turning point of the match. Osaka now had break point; no player had broken serve in the set. Goublic fought back, only to have Osaka fire a similar devastating shot to finally break her. Osaka served out for the set. In the second set, Osaka ate Goublicâs soft serves for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Osaka let out a âCome On!â after one nice shot.
âI played better today,â Osaka, who beat Chinaâs Saisai Zheng 6-1, 6-4 in the first round, said after the match. âI think my movement was better and I was more familiar with what I wanted to do.â
Sheâs showing no rust, only the benefits rest. Off the court, her decision to step away from tennis between the French Open and the Olympicsâ"Osaka also skipped Wimbledonâ"proved controversial in some circles and touched off a broader discussion on the importance of maintaining mental health, both inside and outside of sports. âItâs O.K. to not be O.K.,â Osaka wrote in a recent cover essay for TIME. âMichael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life. If thatâs true, then it was all worth it.â
On Monday she faced the press, the original source of her consternation at the French Open. After Osaka announced that she was going to skip press conferences because of their potential damage to her mental health, she was fined by French Open officials. She then backed out of the tournament altogether, citing anxiety and a desire to tend to her well-being and prepare for the Olympics. âIâll say it again for those at the back,â Osaka wrote in TIME. âI love the press; I do not love all press conferences.â
After preliminary round matches at the Olympics, athletes donât have to endure formal press conferences; instead, they are shuffled through a âmixed zone,â and stop at various stations to briefly chat with groups of reporters from around the world. She smiled during a broadcast interview and seemed relaxed when stepping up to take two questionsâ"only twoâ"from a group of American reporters. Itâs not the best format for drawing revealing insights from athletes; one-on-one interviews do a better job of that. But for the athletes, at least theyâre moving along instead of sitting in a staid conference room under the glare of all those cameras.
Osaka said that sheâs kept an eye on her competition, watching the tournaments she missed during her break. She was also asked if the lack of fans in the Tokyo seats would affect her. Though she won a spectator-free U.S. Open in New York last summer, many athletes feed off energy and noise. And the Olympics only happen once every four years; the empty stands in Tokyo have cast a pall on these games.
Inside the Ariake Tennis Park, with one of the most accomplished athletes on the planetâ"who also happens to hail from the host countryâ"doing her thing, the cicadas made the most noise.
âThereâs this different atmosphere,â she said. âBut I try not to overthink it. Because then I get nervous.â
For Naomi Osaka, the free-mind formula has paid off.
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