Never had her debut in a tournament appeared in María Camila Osorio’s career with as much expectation as this Sunday’s at the Australian Open, the first ‘grand slam’ of the world tennis season.
And the expectation is due to several factors. One of them, the consequences of the Covid-19 in María Camila, which were about to marginalize her from the great competition in Melbourne. Another, the debut of the best female racket in Latin America in Australia, whose career is on the rise every day for the happiness of herself and Colombian sports. And one last aspect: the rival, the Japanese Naomi Osaka, former world number one and defending champion in the ocean tournament.
If we Colombians want to know how María Camila is after covid, the Japanese also want to know the level with which Naomi reappears.
To measure the greatness of Osaka, 24 years old, it must be said that in her showcase she has the trophies of four ‘greats’ – two US Opens in 2018 and 2020, and two Australian Opens in 2019 and 2021 – and that during 25 weeks was the first tennis player in the world female ranking. And it goes without saying that she is the highest-paid athlete of all time in the world, according to Forbes magazine, which accounted for her income of 60 million dollars last year alone, 55 of them only for sponsorship.
Before entering the land of María Camila, who attended El País from Melbourne, where the tennis player from Cucuta arrived a few days ago to compete in Australia, Naomi’s recent background must be staged.
The Japanese reaches the ‘grand slam’ after four months without setting foot on a court, due to the physical and mental break she wanted to have in her career.
2021 was a critical year for Osaka. After being eliminated from the Tokyo Olympics and having told the press that her mental health was plagued by anxiety and the pressure of the results, Naomi took a long breather that now leaves her with a fresh air for the competition.
In Tokyo, the young player experienced two opposite moments. One full of happiness when she lit the cauldron for the Games, a privilege reserved only for great sports figures, and another full of sadness and pain, when, drowned in tears, she announced what was weakening her on the courts.
“Everything went wrong. I have felt at times that I had the whole weight of the world on my back. It has been too much for me. This defeat (in the Olympics) has hurt me more than any”, he narrated between tears.
So Melbourne looks like the perfect setting for Osaka to regain her greatness on the court and realize how much these four months that she was absent from competitions served her.
Although María Camila’s situation was not as serious as Naomi’s, the Colombian also experienced moments of anguish.
The Colombian racket, 20 years old and number 53 in the world ranking, had to withdraw from the Melbourne Open and the Adelaide Tournament in the oceanic country, prior to Australia, for having been infected with Covid-19.
On January 4, on her Instagram account, the cucuteña published this message: “Hello everyone. I hope you are good. A few days ago I tested positive for covid and was unable to participate in the first Melbourne tournament. I was hoping to start my season in Adelaide, but I won’t be there, so we’re going to wait a few days and, with faith in God, we’ll try to play the Australia Open. I feel very well and I am looking forward to getting back on the pitch soon”.
Aware of the challenge that it meant to compete for the first time in the main draw of the ‘grand slam’ with which the tennis season opens, María Camila then decided to take maximum care of herself in the United States, where she was when she was infected, to try to exhibit the best of his game from this Sunday. He had already had the opportunity to compete twice in the ‘qualy’ in Australia and both times he fell. This time he longs for luck to be different.
The first racket in Latin America took a break from its training days and attended El País from Melbourne.
Were you afraid of not being in Australia because of covid?
The truth is that I was doubting a little whether I was going to play in Australia or not. It all happened very close to the previous tournaments and I didn’t know if the time was going to give, but fortunately, and thank God, everything went as it had to. Even when I was leaving the United States for Australia I was very nervous, I didn’t know if the authorities were going to tell me something about the covid for the entrance, but everything went very smoothly and the important thing is that we are here, ready to compete.
How do you get, after the aftermath of covid, to this first great challenge of the season?
I arrive at the first tournament of the season very happy, obviously. First, because I didn’t know if I was going to start the year with Australia, but now that I’m here I feel happy and eager to take advantage of this opportunity. I haven’t competed for a long time, but I’m going to give my best once I’m on the field and ready to leave everything there.
What does it mean to debut against Naomi Osaka, current defending champion in Australia and former number one in the women’s ranking in the world?
The match against Naomi is going to be tough, like all the others, it is going to be my debut, but I assume it as a final, because she is a great competitor, with a lot of experience. But I also see it as a great opportunity for me. I want to be at my best when I have the chance to be on the pitch and play. And well, we have to wait to see what happens, but I arrive with all the desire to face that game.
Beyond what may happen in that difficult game against the Japanese racket, what is María Camila’s challenge in Melbourne?
The challenge is to be in every game. For now, the first thing is to concentrate on the upcoming match against Naomi and from then on, see if I win. I am focused on this game first and then there will be other challenges.
There are already four ‘big ones’, with this one, for María Camila in her sports career as a professional. What has the best tennis player in Latin America learned on this journey?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to participate in several grand slams before and this would be my first in the main draw in Australia. I think I’ve learned a lot of things, especially to get to know myself better on the court. But I have also realized how hard it is to be at the level of competition against the great figures, the champions. I have learned that every game, no matter the situation or the rival, is very difficult. You always have to be fighting for every point. Every match one plays at this level is a final.
.
