WTA Miami / “You have to have a shell”: Naomi Osaka, smile therapy

The contrast is quite striking. Naomi Osaka showed a beaming smile on Monday after her controlled victory against Alison Riske (6-4, 6-3) in the round of 16 of the Miami tournament. A fortnight earlier, she had left Indian Wells in tears. Bruised by a heavy defeat against the Russian Veronika Kudermetova in the 2nd round of the Californian tournament. Murdered, above all, by a “Naomi, you suck!“Launched by a spectator from the stands during the first set. She had not recovered during the match. And her sobs left a shadow of doubt hanging over her ability to recover afterwards.

It wasn’t the first time Osaka had shown mental frailty. The Japanese has gone through a particularly significant year 2021 from this point of view. His refusal to respond to the media which led to his withdrawal from Roland-Garros had already revealed his anxiety problems. Her difficulties in managing her emotions were still glaring at the US Open, where she burst into tears after her premature elimination in the 3rd round, against the Canadian Leylah Fernandez. Osaka had taken a three-month break in stride. She claimed to feel “as good as possible” before the Australian Open. The painful episode of Indian Wells only reminded us of the instability of his emotional balance.

“Learn to Disconnect”

The requirement pushed to the extreme has its consequences. Managing your game, adversity, weather conditions or refereeing is no picnic on the court. Media obligations and public reactions are yet other elements likely to destabilize an athlete. Osaka is the perfect example. “I would never use the word ‘overreacted’ for Naomi, she’s a sensitive human beingsays women’s tennis legend Chris Evert. I think Naomi is now learning, or will learn, that when you’re competing in front of thousands of people and you’re so exposed on the pitch, that there can be a couple of rowdy people in the stands, you have to learn to disconnect.”

This is Osaka’s challenge. Perhaps the most difficult to meet as the quest for balance can be like a way of the cross. “Unfortunately, you have to have a shellcontinues Chris Evert. But you can have a shell when you’re competing and still be sensitive off the court with your emotions. You have to learn to find that balance, that combination, because the ‘hecklers’ have been around for a long time and I think all the best players have had this disturbing and heartbreaking experience. You don’t want that kind of thing to affect you to the point where you can’t play the same way and you lose the game..”

Osaka: “I changed my mentality”

It’s not about becoming someone else, but there’s still a bit of that. That’s all that makes this process so tricky. “It’s those kind of times when you have to figure out why you’re playing tennis, because you can’t force yourself to have the right emotions.underlines the former world number one, Mats Wilander, consultant for Eurosport. You can’t force that every time you step onto the court. It has to happen naturally. It’s like falling in love with another person who has another passion. Naomi must have fallen in love with tennis while hitting the ball. Then winning. Then she was no longer in love because of the attention around her, the pain that must be endured to win. I think for all these players there is a process of introspection.”

Osaka is in this phase. And the 24-year-old took on the problem head on by hiring a therapist on the advice of her sister after her painful episode in Indian Wells. “I understand now how much it helpsshe explained after her victory in the 1st round against Astra Sharma in Miami. I feel like I’ve tried a lot of different things because I tend to internalize, and I also want to do everything on my own. In Indian Wells, I realized that I had never been heckled. I had been booed before, but not so directly targeted. It took me out of my element in a way. I feel better prepared now. I changed my mentality.”

“In tennis, you learn to solve problems”

Her smile found on the first part of the tournament indicates that she is on the right track. But the road is still long. “I hope she finds the right wayadvance Mats Wilander. In tennis, what you learn is problem solving. You are ready to try different options. That doesn’t mean it will result in a win. For Osaka, that doesn’t mean she will become a better player. It may not even necessarily be what she is looking for. But I think that means she’s on a path to trying to be happier when she’s playing tennis. And of course, be as happy as possible off the court.”

The two are closely linked. The case of Osaka illustrates quite well the phenomenon and the challenge represented by the quest for emotional balance. The Japanese is the most striking example, but she is far from being the only one concerned. “She taught us a lot and she really exposed a health issue that is very, very importantemphasizes Chris Evert. She was a role model for so many people. I think all of us who know her support her on her journey and hope that she finds the balance to be tough on the court and then sensitive off it. Because it really is her.“And that’s how all tennis lovers want to see her.