Naomi Osaka was ruthless as she overcame Ons Jabeur in straight sets yesterday.
The Canadian Open is a hugely prestigious tournament and promises 1000 ranking points to the winner, and given her non-attendance last year, the 26-year-old has a free run at the event.
There’s every chance that she could even make a push for the title should she recapture some form and consistency.
If she plays like she did yesterday, there’s every chance of that, despite admitting to one ‘intimidating’ thing that Jabeur did mid-way through their match.
Naomi Osaka reviews her Canadian Open win over Ons Jabeur
Speaking to reporters after her first-round win over Jabeur, in which she crushed the Tunisian 6-3, 6-1, Osaka was still full of praise for yesterday’s opponent.
After all, she remains a very real threat to the bulk of the tour, despite her form having faltered and injuries now creeping in.
Despite all these setbacks, the four-time Grand Slam champion remained complimentary of Jabeur, and even outlined what happened mid-match that actually struck fear into her.
Osaka claimed: ‘I think she is the Minister of Happiness, right! She is the friendliest and nicest player. I can’t say enough good things about her and she has been that way since I was like 16 or 17, when we first met.
‘As a competitor it’s kind of intimidating because when I saw her at the net she wasn’t smiling so it threw me off. Just because she smiles all the time, I was like wow, we’re here now. Obviously, she is one of the best players in the world and she got that way for a reason, because she is a killer and she’s competitive, so it’s kind of cool to see.’
Naomi Osaka is planning big things on returning to hard courts
Having showcased real tangible progress on clay and grass courts, in what is her first full year back on the WTA, we have now at last returned to her bread and butter.
All of her four Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts, with two in New York and two in Melbourne, and she is yet to lose a major final on this surface.
Osaka admitted to stalking one WTA star in order to further her development over the Olympics, and already that is clearly paying dividends.
Yesterday’s crushing victory over Jabeur, the former world number two, speaks volumes about where her true level is despite currently being ranked 95th.
Should she succeed here in Canada, and then enjoy a fine run at the US Open once again, by the time that 2025 rolls around she could be in a fine position to be seeded once again. Then she will surely start to soar up back towards her former world number one spot.
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