Australian Open 2021

Clash of will and power

Women's singles final pits two players who thrive on mental strength and ruthless ability

MELBOURNE • Naomi Osaka describes her last meeting against Jennifer Brady as one of the top two matches of her career.

She needed to be at her best to overcome the American's heavy game at last year's US Open semi-final. And the three-time Grand Slam champion will be expecting another high-octane clash when they meet in today's Australian Open final.

"I think for me, that's the most interesting thing about women's tennis right now. There are so many amazing new players and so many players people can watch," she told WTA Insider as she assessed the challenge posed by the Major final debutante. "I'm really excited to play my match on Saturday."

Osaka, 23, and Brady, 25, have displayed ruthless power in their matches and disarming vulnerability in their press conferences. They do not pretend that they are impervious to pressure, yet have displayed mental strength.

Osaka staved off two match points in a fourth-round battle against Garbine Muguruza before ending Serena Williams' bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

"I think the thing that I'm most proud of is how mentally strong I've become," said Osaka, who has not lost since last February.

"I used to be really up and down. For me, I had a lot of doubts in myself. I think, the quarantine process and seeing everything that's going on in the world, for me it put a lot into perspective."

The coronavirus pandemic also forced Brady to dig deep. She was one of 72 players who spent two weeks in hard quarantine after arriving in Melbourne and was denied the chance to train for up to five hours a day like the majority of the field. But, while some complained about being locked down, the world No. 24 just got on with it, hitting balls against a mattress in her room and working with her trainer, Daniel Pohl, to keep her fitness up.

That focus paid off. Of the contingent doing hard quarantine, 51 were singles players and only Brady made it past the third round.

She squandered four match points on Thursday but collected herself to dispatch Karolina Muchova in three sets.

Her resilience will face the ultimate test today, when she faces an opponent who is bidding to become the first woman since Monica Seles to win her first four Major finals.

But, for the first time, Osaka will head into a Grand Slam title decider as the more experienced player. Her previous three were against Williams, Petra Kvitova, and Victoria Azarenka.

"I feel like experience is important because you can draw on the things you didn't think you did well in the past and memories," the world No. 3 said. "But at the same time, I acknowledge that not having experience is also good because I didn't have experience when I won my first Slam. There's a certain hard-headedness that comes with not winning a Slam before."

Brady dropped fewer games on her way to the semi-finals than any other player. But she did not face a higher-ranked player in her run to the final, helped by the exits of world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and defending champion Sofia Kenin.

"When I'm playing matches now, I'm never in doubt about whether I can win the match or not," she told WTA Insider. "I believe the match is on my racket, that it's within my control."

Still, Osaka will be the overwhelming favourite.

Justine Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, said the Japanese star had taken a grip on the women's game.

"To me, women's tennis has a new boss, Naomi Osaka has this capacity, she has taken another dimension," the Belgian told Eurosport. "(She) is completely ready physically, mentally she showed that she is really strong."

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES


AUSTRALIAN OPEN

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 20, 2021, with the headline Clash of will and power. Subscribe