Naomi Osaka started her 2024 Miami Open with a win, and after the match, she gave an honest assessment of her level.
Osaka didn't start the year well, struggling tremendously with her tennis. Some former players argued that it wasn't so much about her tennis, but more so about her fitness, and they were probably right.
She was able to produce some spectacular shots at the time, but being late for most of those simply made it impossible to hit most of them. As she played more and more, the former world no. 1 became fitter, and her tennis started to click.
The Qatar Open in Doha was the first event where she put together some really strong performances. She followed that up with a decent level in Indian Wells, even though it wasn't a deep run.
Her Miami Open campaign started off with a win, and after the match, Osaka admitted to feeling really free on the court. She certainly played that way, looking as relaxed as ever.
"Honestly, this is probably the most free that I was able to hit my balls, like, the closest to the feeling I want to capture going forward. I would say this is probably my best match in terms of shot-making. I felt like the balls I wanted to hit were there. Yeah, I'm pretty happy with this one."
Besides her shot-making, her serve carried her for much of the match, as the conditions allowed it. She will hope to keep that going in the next couple of matches, as the tournament in Miami has been decent for her over the years.
The last time she played in Florida was in 2022, when she went all the way to the final, losing to Iga Swiatek, who was ascending to world number one at that time.
This year, both will be certainly looking for a rematch. Swiatek certainly looks as strong as ever after winning Indian Wells last week.
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