Yea really nubas I don't know. She seems awesome. But there are no consistently dominate female players right now. Woz could smoke her in the next tournament. You know it and I do. But I actually kind of like that.
Naomi Osaka: future multi GS winner
- Thread starter RF-18
- Start date
veroniquem
Bionic Poster
It's incredible how candid she is. If I understood the interview properly, she cried because she realized she stopped Serena from getting #24 and being such a huge fan of her, she felt conflicting emotions (not during the match but during the hug)
NuBas
Legend
I said in the match thread that she felt her win was bittersweet. I think it was a mixture of emotions.
70後
Hall of Fame
Osaka's being pulled everywhere all round the place doing all those talk shows which is imo a bad thing. Drat with that. I wish she would just ignore the US talk show circuit and that stuff. They just want to milk her dry for every bit of value they can get. The whole gig is going to ruin her when she needs rest, recuperation, recovery, review, reflection on what she can do now to improve.
And keep the core members of your team who have been there all along around you, these people who know you best and will protect you from the sharks.
Imo, Osaka’s rallying was very impressive, but don’t forget Sloane, Keys and so on are also good. Then there are Ashley, Bertens, Mertens, Vickery, Collins, tons of people. Svitolina never seems to do much but she is still one spot ahead of Naomi and has over 160 more wins. Don't underestimate that kind of consistency.
Osaka’s arrived, she's here to stay, so coaches are already working out how to counter her. Opponents are going to figure out that to break up her rally, they have to rally and volley. Osaka's mid court, net tactics and volley isn't that good yet. You have to counter the counter tactic before it comes into existence.
And keep the core members of your team who have been there all along around you, these people who know you best and will protect you from the sharks.
Imo, Osaka’s rallying was very impressive, but don’t forget Sloane, Keys and so on are also good. Then there are Ashley, Bertens, Mertens, Vickery, Collins, tons of people. Svitolina never seems to do much but she is still one spot ahead of Naomi and has over 160 more wins. Don't underestimate that kind of consistency.
Osaka’s arrived, she's here to stay, so coaches are already working out how to counter her. Opponents are going to figure out that to break up her rally, they have to rally and volley. Osaka's mid court, net tactics and volley isn't that good yet. You have to counter the counter tactic before it comes into existence.
70後
Hall of Fame
She reminds me of Fischer Pete. That is, young Pete.
NuBas
Legend
100% agree. I think with her Mother and Father traveling with her, they will be great support. I think she comes already from grounded roots. She has adopted the Japanese culture more so than American so I think she won't change too much if she does become more popular. She'll be like Kei, nothing change much after his success. Good thing she's headed straight to Tokyo where she will be grounded. She just needs to get away from NY where it can suck her energy away since she is an introvert.
70後
Hall of Fame
Back in 1990, young Pete when he also won his first US was all simplicity, restraint, politeness. A bit guileless too, tbh. He didn't say very much but if he did he was always to the point. He was the total opposite of young Agassi.
70後
Hall of Fame
I think the Japanese physio, or whoever she is, is an extremely important, key member of Naomi's team along with Bajin and her mum and dad. The woman seems to be the kind, wise, nurturing sort. Naomi takes her everywhere. I got the feeling she is almost like a mum to Naomi.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, I read from the transcript she said "When I hugged her at the net, I felt like a kid again"
Her name is Natsuko Mogi.
Her conditioning and physical coach is Abdullah Sillah, former Serena's trainer as well.
Great article on her transformation and discussing of those 3 on her team (Sacha, Abdul and Natsuko).
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/nhknewsline/backstories/naomiosaka/
Sacha was assistant coach when hired right? In Jan he still juggling between Wozniacki and Osaka from what I read.
70後
Hall of Fame
Very interesting. Thanks for the great Osaka article. She has a great work ethic and is a good student too, by the sound of it.
"Under Bajin, Osaka's weight dropped by about 7 kilograms in the off-season, and she began pursuing a new style rather than relying on power. Bajin taught her to wait for a chance to attack in a rally rather than hit hard every time, to reduce mistakes.
He also taught her to take control with a mix of various serves, instead of scoring with a fast serve of nearly 200 kilometers per hour. He also encouraged her to feel positive and stay mentally stable during matches.
Osaka built up physical strength under her trainer Abdul Sillah, the former trainer of Williams. She managed to strengthen her trunk and the lower half of her body through a program combining running, muscle training and bicycling.
She also gained suppleness around her hip joints under another trainer, Natsuko Mogi.
The trainers say one of Osaka's greatest talents is her willingness to heed and implement their advice. They were happy with her steady progress this season."
70後
Hall of Fame
I may be wrong, but I cannot recall Pete smashing a racquet either. Well, a Pete serve went through Rafter's racquet once, but that is a different thing.
Even Fed has lost his temper and demolished racquets.
Pete as a youngster was taught never ever to lose his cool on court. The only thing he was allowed to say was "the score".
Pete's role model was Laver.
EkVraNaamEnVan
New User
I hope you also bought a lottery ticket in the mix of things. Great pick.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
If Naomi win Beijing do you guys think she deserved to be Best Player this year or still Simona?
Simona will be ITF World Champion I'm pretty sure due to her GS points tally above anyone else. But she did not win any PM while Naomi could win 2.
Simona will be ITF World Champion I'm pretty sure due to her GS points tally above anyone else. But she did not win any PM while Naomi could win 2.
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
I would pick Osaka cause 1 slam & 2 PM titels
ScentOfDefeat
G.O.A.T.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
Can Mod merge this thread with this: https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/i-3-naomi-osaka.626336/page-3#post-12782734
Naomi threw her racket multiple times today and there is one that is borderline racket abuse.
She apologize to Zhang for her behavior lol.
Naomi threw her racket multiple times today and there is one that is borderline racket abuse.
She apologize to Zhang for her behavior lol.
70後
Hall of Fame
She also did it in the Goerges match, although I wanted to give it a pass. She didn't start making a habit of it before the US final. This is NOT what she is supposed to do of WWSD.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
The wrong WWSD!
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
I hope this thing gone in 2019.
70後
Hall of Fame
I hope this thing gone in 2019.
Unfortunately that pic reminds me of Sabine Lisicki and her crying fits too.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
She's coping. It's all a bit sudden. Won her first big title only early this year and now she has a slam, a Tokyo final and the Beijing title is also on her racquet at least imo. I will cut her some slack because for the most part she is very focused and calm. If she smashes racquets and cries now and then, it's because the rest of the tour does it and on both sides (ok, not the crying part on the ATP but otherwise...). Maybe if they set a better example, she wouldn't feel comfortable about being bratty.
EkVraNaamEnVan
New User
It will continue as long as she is flesh and blood, and has feeling. Maybe she will manage the tears better once she is older, I have seen too many tears from players, even those we assume are strong.
I hope this thing gone in 2019.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
Yup, Graf shed a couple of tears after losing the RG final in 90 and she had already won 9 slams at that point. Happens. The pressure is immense, we have no idea.
70後
Hall of Fame
Serena has succumbed in 4 out of her last 6 slam finals. Ever since the Vinci match, Serena has been melting down or closer to melting down the closer she got to 22,23. Every barrier becomes exponentially higher, seemingly astronomically more impossible, even for the mighty Serena.
If Osaka can remember today that she is not playing for herself but for her team, she will be the USO player.
If Osaka can remember today that she is not playing for herself but for her team, she will be the USO player.
70後
Hall of Fame
I think we do have a Big 4. Top 4 in the rankings are all the slam champs since Wimbledon, with Sloane losing her USO title to Osaka, Osaka is now #4. This wouldn't be possible unless Halep, Woz, Kerber and Osaka all had a TON of wins and high level wins too BESIDES their major. Even players like Kvitova, Goerges, Bertens with all their wins and titles this year can't get in. So it proves that everybody in the Big 4 should be there, there is no fluke slam winner with nothing else. WTA deserves a vote of good confidence.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
As long as it doesn't translate much into her play. There are 2 times she hit 2nd serve around 160km/h, one is out as DF and one is in just because she's frustrated.
She's like completely different opposite of Sloane I guess, there is no 'Just a tennis match' for Naomi.
I believe Indian Wells was her first title period.
And now she’s internationally known from being relatively obscure in January.
I think she is going to be fine. She has a good team behind her.
I agree. It isn’t brattiness. It’s just being human and tennis is such an emotional sport.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
She's not bratty, even throwing the racket is not bratty imo (Could be biased but whatever).
But managing emotion is one of important part of the game. I think Darren said to Simona one time that it's okay yo broke a racket but don't go out there serve a double fault because you're frustrated.
In that match I saw Naomi tank serve and just blast UE because she's frustrated. She got out of that one tho due to opening from nervy Zhang.
Hope her back is okay and taking Finals by the storm.
But managing emotion is one of important part of the game. I think Darren said to Simona one time that it's okay yo broke a racket but don't go out there serve a double fault because you're frustrated.
In that match I saw Naomi tank serve and just blast UE because she's frustrated. She got out of that one tho due to opening from nervy Zhang.
Hope her back is okay and taking Finals by the storm.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
From my vantage point as a viewer of tennis from the 90s, that was a time when racquet smashes were very rare, especially at the slams. So...I do find it bratty in the sense that it shows that racquet, which usually retails for what $200 or so, is worth nothing to the player. That kind of entitlement was rare in the 90s but is now so common that we have come to accept it. Djokovic even rationalised it as a kind of discharge of anger. Maybe so, but does he mean to say tennis was so slow and slobbery in the 90s that nobody ever got angry? Coz I seem to remember otherwise.
EDIT: The other day, I was watching bits and pieces of the Graf-Seles match at the US hardcourt championships in 1991. The prize money was just $45000 and the commentators note that they are playing for things other than the money. Can you imagine no.1 and no.2 multi slam winners playing each other at such a small event today? So it's the sheer amount of money at the top that's probably brought this sense of entitlement and maybe that, adjusted for inflation, racquets are probably cheaper now than back then. Maybe one wouldn't want to destroy a heavy and lovely Max200G.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
Well, they should because it still costs a lot to make one. Sampras got his for free for a long time until Wilson stopped providing him the PS85 with the paint he wanted. Don't remember him smashing racquets very often, if at all. Somebody mentioned about Fed tossing off bottles after being done; yeah, dislike that too. Have some manners for God's sake.
Chanwan
G.O.A.T.
45000 to the winners in 91?? Didn't realize money had exploded that much
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
Get WC and then lost in 1R you get same money lol.
Can't believe it's 27 years ago! God I'm old.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
I am sure the slams still paid a lot, lot more so it's more that even top players didn't mind playing tournaments with such low prize money. It wasn't uncommon then to see Sampras-Agassi square off at San Jose. Other than very few 500s like maybe Basel, just forget about Big Four playing each other at tournaments of that size.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
Felt exactly that when I realised it was 20 years ago that France won the FIFA world cup. Damn!
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
Well it's also actually this year
Yeah, sorry should have been clearer, meant the last time they won it. The topic came up when they reached the finals and I was like, God has it really been that long?
stringertom
Bionic Poster
The actual raw materials/labor cost for a frame is a small fraction of what is wasted when these stars destroy a stick. String cost and the stringing fee they pay exceeds the frame cost and that doesn't even factor in what they will pay for another frame to be customized to match their remaining bag of frames.
While the big guys generally are signed with a customizing service (Priority One is a prime example) on a retainer basis and pay a yearly fee for those services, I don't think the replacement frames for destroying a stick are offered free of charge in their deals. There's a lot of work and time to customize the handles, match swing weights and get the new racquet ready to add to their bag.
It would be annoying to me if they took my work for granted just to release their anger and I would want to be paid for getting another frame ready due to their lack of emotional control.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
Yeah it becomes a culture it's annoying.
Dolgopolov85
G.O.A.T.
Hmm, so they actually pay to get replacement frames customised for them. Wow, that's so ********, to destroy a frame and then pay to get its replacement customised. I know they make a lot of money but they don't have to wear it on their sleeve. Ain't the racquet's fault that you lost the point so don't bang it.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
If I watch live, I will boo everyone who destroyed their racket including my fave.
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