MUM ON A MISSION
Reborn Serena’s chance to avenge crushing loss to Osaka
With the disarming openness that has become her new trademark, Serena Williams recalled the last time she played against Naomi Osaka.
‘i was breast-feeding at the time, so it was a totally different situation. hopefully i won’t play like that again. i can only go up from that match,’ said Williams, in reference to their last meeting in late March. it was in the Miami Open first round, at the beginning of her comeback, and Osaka thrashed her for the loss of only five games. Williams was so furious afterwards that she stormed straight out of the stadium, got in a car and drove home.
Barely five months on, they face each other tonight in the final of the US Open. So tennis is either going to celebrate the triumph of sport’s most famous working mother or the arrival of a major new star.
Back in Miami, the questions inevitably surrounded whether Williams, who turns 37 next month, could ever get back to the supreme level that has already brought 23 Grand Slam titles, following the birth of her daughter Olympia.
When hammering Anastasija Sevastova in thursday night’s semi-final she looked like she was getting closer than she was prepared to admit. She insists there is a lot more to come.
Williams has been keen to offer perspective on making a second straight major final, following Wimbledon, and dropped in the nugget that ‘i actually weigh less than i did before i got pregnant, but it’s distributed differently now.’
She recalled the huge struggle of giving birth: ‘Last year i was literally fighting for my life in the hospital. i was on my third surgery. i had one more to go still.
‘to come from that, in the hospital bed — not being able to move and walk and do anything — only a year later i’m actually in these finals, in two in a row.
‘this is the beginning. i’m not there yet, i’m on the climb still. i just feel like my future’s bright, even though i’m not a spring chicken.’
Williams’ absence and gradual climb back left the field wide open in women’s tennis, with a succession of players grabbing Grand Slam titles and then failing to consolidate on their gains.
Osaka, aged 20 and ranked 19 with a potent serve, could turn out to be the most interesting of all if she was to win here.
in common with many tennis players, her heritage defies simplistic description. Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and haitian father, the family moved to New York when she was three, before her early promise as a player saw them decamp to Florida to nurture her game.
At 13, the decision was made to represent Japan, which has turned out to be extremely prescient in terms of her commercial appeal.
it is a hugely lucrative sports market for athletes and Kei Nishikori — who was last night playing Novak Djokovic for a place in the men’s final — is reckoned to be the sport’s highest earner after Roger Federer, with endorsements of over $30million annually.
Osaka can be a similarly attractive proposition, potentially with added global appeal. Japanese is very much her second language and while she can take questions in the tongue of her mother, she still answers in English.
it helps that she has a quirky manner and sense of humour. After her straight- sets win over Madison Keys in the semi- final she described her determination during the match, saying: ‘this is going to sound really bad but i was just thinking i really want to play Serena.’
Williams was her idol growing up and later she admitted: ‘Even when i was a little kid, i always dreamed that i would play Serena in a final of a Grand Slam.’
Going for a 24th title to nominally tie with the tally of Australian great Margaret Court (who won plenty of those in an era of sparse international fields), it is Williams who may feel more pressure against a player 16 years her junior.
Rafael Nadal was playing Juan Martin Del Potro in last night’s other semi- final while Jamie Murray will go for his fourth mixed doubles Grand Slam title today when he and Bethanie Mattek Sands face little known Nikola Mektic of Croatia and Poland’s Alicja Rosolska.