Timing means everything in tennis, and Naomi Osaka’s could not be better – for herself, or for the sport.
Barely two weeks have passed since Osaka was reduced to tears by a heckler in Indian Wells, where she arrived talking of how she felt at peace with herself and left in a state of emotional turmoil after losing in straight sets to Veronika Kudermetova. After a well-documented period of upheaval in her life that prompted lengthy absences from the tour last year, it was the last thing the former world No 1 needed. Ashleigh Barty’s subsequent retirement only deepened the hope that Osaka, the winner of four grand slam titles but now ranked 77th, could put the episode behind her and set about rescaling the mountain.
There were more tears on Thursday night, but happily not a hint of sadness. As she contemplated the 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Belinda Bencic that moves her into the final of the Miami Open for the first time, Osaka felt a sense of happiness that has not washed over her since last year’s Australian Open, the last time she reached the final weekend at a tournament. It has been a long time coming, too long for a player of Osaka’s rich talent, but her joy was worth the wait as she quietly wept into her towel at courtside after the final point was won.
“I’m just so grateful right now,” she later wrote on social media, after an emotional on-court interview in which she offered effusive thanks to the crowd. “Cheers to the ups and downs of life for making me appreciate this moment even more.”
Osaka had come out on the wrong end of her previous four meetings with Bencic, and that trend threatened to continue when the Olympic champion secured an early break by clambering all over Osaka’s second serve to club two consecutive backhand winners. Another break soon followed, and it was not long before Osaka was contemplating her first dropped set of the tournament. Far from discouraging her, however, the setback only reinforced Osaka’s determination to keep pushing.
“She was just playing really well,” said Oska. “In the second set I just told myself, ‘Listen, if she beats you, someone is going to have to carry you off the court in a stretcher, because you’re going to fight for everything.’”
Fight she did, and as a steady stream of winners flowed from her racket, so Bencic’s level began to drop. The tide began to turn.
“The momentum definitely shifted a little bit,” said Bencic. “The wind was kind of swirling around. She started to serve better a little bit, and I felt like I couldn’t – also maybe with the wind a little bit – but I didn’t go through my balls so much. You know, they had just a little bit less on.”
It was all the encouragement Osaka needed. After a nip-and-tuck start to the decider, she broke in the fifth game and moved ahead 5-2. Bencic was not quite done, and a break in the eighth game forced Osaka to step up to the line for a second time. This time she made no mistake. A place in the final, where she will face Iga Swiatek after the incoming world No 1 defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2, 7-5, was hers.
Asked afterwards to describe her emotions, Osaka was emphatic.
“Definitely happiness,” she said.”I wanted to go into this tournament and test myself, and I feel like she was probably the best opponent in the world for that. I didn’t have good memories playing against her.
“So, you know, I’m glad that I was able to get through… it wasn’t really relief, but it was definitely happiness.”