Quarter-finalist in Miami last year, the former world number 1 was eliminated in the second round in Indian Wells, 6-0, 6-4, ten days ago, against Russian Veronika Kudermetova, after having wiped away a few tears, on his chair, after the cry of a spectator: “
Naomi, you suck.
Nothing like that happened on Wednesday in Miami and Osaka, down to 77th in the WTA rankings, didn't shy away from the subject when she was asked on the court after her victory: "
I didn't want to let myself go .
bored by anything, I wanted to prove that I could come back and play well
, ”she said, hot.
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Visibly in great shape, Osaka dispatched Sharma in 1 hour and 20 minutes, being intractable on her serve and finding, in the exchanges, many diagonals impossible to return by the Australian, 96th in the world.
“
I'm really happy, because I consider this tournament a bit like my own.
I feel at home because I grew up in Florida, in Fort Lauderdale
”, she added, visibly relieved, she who still likes “
to come here once a year, to also enjoy Asian cuisine
” .
At the very beginning of the year, for her return to competition in Australia after a mentally difficult 2021, and her tears at the US Open, which went around the world, the 24-year-old young woman, in prey to anguish, said
just want to feel fun
” on the court.
Advice from a therapist
In a press conference, after her express victory, in one hour and twenty minutes, Osaka then revealed that she had started working with a psychotherapist, after her defeat in Indian Wells, and therefore followed the advice of her sister "
who was very worried about me
,” she revealed.
The therapist “
told me about strategies and a whole bunch of stuff like deep breathing, resetting the counters when necessary.
I'm starting to realize how much all of this can help me.
I am very happy to have people around me who have encouraged me to go in this direction
,” she said.
Osaka had decided last year to take a step back from the circuit, which caused it to dive in the world rankings but showed that a dike had fallen in the fight for top athletes to highlight the mental health issues that some suffer from.
As for his coach, Wim Fissette, “
he presented it to me in a very good way, telling me that if I hire a coach for tennis, for physical preparation, the mind is also very important.
So getting help from a professional, to earn even 0.5%, is already worth it
”.
In the next round, Osaka will undergo an important test of her current form, physical and mental, against the German Angélique Kerber, 34 years old and still 15th player in the world.
Like Osaka in 2019, Kerber was also world number 1 in 2016.
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