Chris Evert: “Osaka has to develop a tough mentality”

After a start to the season with different ups and downs, it seems that Naomi Osaka is rising from the ashes and is recovering the level that led her to be number one in the world. To do this, she has had to make a radical change in her mentality and prepare for the psychological harshness that being an elite athlete can entail. Chris Evertformer world number one and winner of 18 Grand Slams, has stated that the Japanese “is a very sensitive person” and that “you have to develop a tough mentality”.

Osaka he has lived an ordeal since the 2018 US Open, where he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. In Indian Wells, the former world number one also experienced an episode that pushed her to the limit and that brought tears to her eyes after the insult of a person from the stands. But in Miami everything took a 360-degree turn. The Japanese began to visit a psychologist to overcome her problems and she was planted in the final of the Miami Open where she could only be stopped by the number one in the world, Iga Swiatek.

The obligatory evolution of Osaka

In an interview for Eurosport, Evert recognized the complicated situation that comes with being one of the best tennis players in the world and stated that Naomi has to take a step forward. “He is a very sensitive and vulnerable person.. This life of winning tournaments, being number one in the world, winning Grand Slams. This competition entails being a target that everyone talks about, being judged by the fans and by the media. You see how they take away your privacy. It’s not just playing a game on the pitch, it’s everything that goes into it. It’s been a struggle for her.”

“We are all fans of Osaka and we have seen the high level of tennis that she can play. We have seen him win Grand Slams. You have to have thick skin, that’s a reality and that’s not a criticism. If you don’t have tough skin, you can develop it because you have to understand that if you are so successful, you are exposed to anyone judging you and talking about you. There are many people out there who are not happy with their own lives. So, in a way, they get into other people’s lives by showing their negativity.”

The problems of a champion

Evert, who won 18 Grand Slams, knows firsthand what success, failure and pressure from fans and the media entail. The former tennis player also remembers that success is always accompanied by the bad part of her and it is the price that she must pay Osaka if she wants to continue being one of the best tennis players on the planet. “I have always thought that if you are successful in any field and you are making millions of dollars on the tennis court and from different sponsors, you pay the price. There is always a price for everything”.

In addition, he urges Osaka to accept reality, since anyone in her situation has lived through many difficult situations, but they have managed to cope with them and mentally rebuild themselves to fight against adversity. “You can’t just go smoothly, you can’t avoid the pitfalls of success. You have to understand that and do the best you can, but you have to be tough and realize that if somebody shoots at you, that’s their problem. You have to go your way.”