When the going gets tough, the tough gets going! Talking about being the toughest, well, tennis legend Serena Williams has always been widely recognized for her ability to overcome adversity and win tough challenges, both on and off the court. Her mental toughness, resilience, and determination to succeed helped her steal victory from the jaws of defeat on several occasions. For players like Naomi Osaka, Williams has always been one of the biggest inspirational figures in the tennis world.
Just ahead of Williams’ retirement at the 2022 US Open, Naomi Osaka heaped praise on the 23-time Grand Slam champion by saying, “She changed the sport so much. She’s introduced people that have never heard of tennis into the sport. And I think I’m a product of what she’s done. I wouldn’t be here without Serena.” Osaka is one of those lucky ones who not only got the chance to play against her idol, but she also defeated her three times out of their four meetings. If only living the dream to the fullest had a better example than this Japanese superstar!
Playing against Serena Williams had not only given her the exposure that she needed to take on other superstars in the WTA, but Naomi Osaka had plenty of things to learn from those meetings. Recently, after her incredible 49-minute wrap-up against Anastasia Sevastova (6-1,6-0) in the R16 of the 2025 Canadian Open, Osaka was asked what the secret was behind her not losing her first serving despite facing a break multiple times. In reply to this, she said, “Umm..I don’t know (laughs). Oh, I think for me, I just grew up in an era of watching Serena and she’d be down 0-40 and hit four aces.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion further went on to add, “I still think about that sometimes when I play, and I also feel like it doesn’t have to be an ace. Like, I just have to hit a really good serve and see what happens because off the baseline, I still think I’m one of the better players.“ Naomi Osaka has so far played four matches in this tournament, but she has already hammered 20 aces against her opponents. Although she committed quite a few double faults in the first match, after that, she kept it tight.
Talking about her meetings with Serena Williams, Osaka won her first major title (2018) after defeating the American star by 6-2,6-4 in one of the most controversial matches in the history of the US Open. Even recently, she was seen sharing her thoughts about that match during a conversation with Jay Shetty in his podcast.
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 08: Serena Williams (R) of the United States comforts Naomi Osaka (L) of Japan after Osaka won the Women’s Singles finals match on Day Thirteen of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for USTA)
Other than that, their last faceoff took place in the SF of the 2021 AO. In that match, Naomi Osaka defeated Williams by 6-3,6-4. Before that match, Serena Williams hailed Osaka as an “incredible opponent,” and she also added, “I feel like she does everything well, she has a good serve, she has a great return, she’s strong on both sides.” Williams announcing her retirement from the sport in September 2022 was more like a bolt from the blue for all her fans, including Osaka. Does she now want her to come out of retirement?
Naomi Osaka is keeping her “fingers crossed” for the return of Serena Williams
Just a few weeks ago, Serena Williams was seen practising with her sister in DC, and this led to speculations about her intentions to make a return to the racket sport. Although we saw Venus Williams winning her first two matches in both singles and doubles events following her return to the sport after almost a gap of 16 months, there was no confirmation about rumors surrounding Serena’s return.
Did Naomi Osaka get a chance to meet Serena Williams during this time? Well, to this, the Japanese star replied that she didn’t get any chance to interact with her much, but Osaka did share her thoughts on whether she wants to see Serena making a return. “I mean, for me, it’s everything, you know. I’m grateful that they played so long, and they’re continuing — maybe Serena is coming back, I don’t know, fingers crossed.”
She hailed the Williams sisters, saying, “They’re my mothers. They’re the queens.” Just like the Williams sisters, Naomi Osaka is also fond of breaking records. We’ve seen Osaka win the fastest match at the 2025 Canadian Open in the women’s singles event, but do you know that, among the Japanese players, only Ai Sugiyama (13) has made more Tier I/WTA 1000 QFs than Naomi Osaka (12) since the format’s introduction in 1990?
In her first QF match at the WTA 1000 event since the 2024 Qatar Open, Naomi Osaka will be facing Elina Svitolina (2019 US Open semifinalist). Although Osaka has a 4-3 record against the Ukrainian, Svitolina has been in good form recently, and she’ll be entering this contest following her 6-4,6-1 win against the 2025 Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova. Who’s going to be your pick for the QF?
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