The feeling of inferiority can be terrible, especially when someone is on the verge of breaking through to the bigger stages of their career. In the biography of the 4 times Grand Slam singles champion, ‘Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice’, the inner turmoil of the 26YO champ amid her astonishing career is revealed. Naomi Osaka suffered a terrible feeling of inferiority even after defeating Serena Williams to clinch her first Grand Slam title.
Naomi Osaka has always been the biggest admirer of the 23 Grand Slam singles title holder. Serena Williams has been the source of inspiration for her and to defeat her at the biggest stage was quite an achievement for the young girl. However, the win was overshadowed by an umpiring controversy. Boos and hisses poured down from the stands at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 20YO hadn’t witnessed anything like this before and she couldn’t figure out whether it was made at her or for the results of the match. She felt bad and started crying.
Here’s what Osaka said about that terrible feeling, “I don’t know what this feeling is. I don’t know how to describe it and how to fix it. I guess I’m going to have to live with it for the rest of my life.” During the trophy ceremony, she even apologized to the fans for the outcome of the match. She mentioned even she’s a big fan of ‘The Queen of the Court’.
Seeing the loud booing of the fans, Serena Williams stepped in and put her arm around Naomi Osaka to encourage her. She appreciated her dominating performance and asked the crowd to celebrate Osaka’s victory. Zooming to the present moment, Naomi Osaka is now preparing herself to return to the court, and she has got her target set.
The 4 time Grand Slam winner has been out of action since September last year following her pregnancy and subsequent birth of her first child. But now she is back to training as she looks for a comeback at the Brisbane International Tournament. The WTA 500 tournament will be the final platform for her to test herself before the Australian Open in 2024. Can she repeat the heroics of AO 2021 in 2024?
Well, she has recently expressed her desire to win 8 more Grand Slam titles. She even wants to secure a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She’s the first Asian to hold the top spot in women’s singles ranking. Naomi Osaka is desperate to get her crown back.
