Naomi Osaka will continue her 2024 season at the Canadian Open, where she got a tricky draw: she will have to face Ons Jabeur in the first round of the WTA 1000 event.
The two have spent the past weeks in different places because the Japanese player was preparing on clay for the Olympics while the Tunisian was preparing on hard courts for the US Open swing.
Jabeur withdrew from the Olympics because she feared that switching the surfaces so often would aggravate her physical problems, which she's been dealing with for a while.
The Tunisian has been managing a knee problem for several months and didn't want to risk it. Unfortunately, it's not the only problem she is trying to manage.
Her Citi Open campaign ended after only one doubles match due to a shoulder problem, which forced her to withdraw from both singles and doubles at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington.
According to reports, Osaka is fully healthy, but she has been struggling to find consistency in her tennis. She had high hopes for the Olympics but ended her run after one match by losing to Angelique Kerber.
It was an unfortunate loss but possibly a blessing in disguise as well because it gave her a chance to return to the hard courts sooner. It's where she has always played her best tennis, and this upcoming stretch will be important to her.
The courts in Toronto will be reasonably fast, which will benefit her serve and very aggressive play, and Osaka might end up with some notable results. However, her first test will be against Jabeur.
Head-to-head:
The two played only once before, and it happened three years ago, in 2021, at the Australian Open. Osaka won that match easily, but things were very different back then because she was one of the best players in the world and was playing amazing tennis at the time.
Jabeur was also a really strong player, but that wasn't her peak. Neither is at its peak this time around, but some things skew the matchup in Osaka's favor. It's mostly Jabeur's health, which is questionable.
She is dealing with a knee problem, and that's problematic on its own, but with the shoulder issue on top of that, her life on the tennis court may be difficult. How will she serve? Will it be slower?
If so, she's going to be in very big trouble, as the Japanese player will attack those serves with full force. Osaka might not be playing at her peak, but she has played a lot of tennis lately and seems to be in some rhythm.
| Naomi Osaka | Ons Jabeur | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | H2H | 0 |
| 100 | Rank | 16 |
| 26 | Age | 29 |
| 16-13 | 2024 W/L | 16-13 |
| 281-161 | Career W/L | 445-245 |
Prediction:
If this was a matchup where Jabeur was fully healthy and able to use all her tricks, she could win because she could survive Osaka's power from the baseline. However, because she's not fully healthy, Osaka should be favored to win.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in two sets.
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