Although she’s just 23 years old, Naomi Osaka has made a huge impact on the WTA Tour. Since turning pro in 2013, the Japanese star rose to become one of the most prominent names in women’s tennis today.

On the other hand, World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty continues to create her legacy with her recent win at Wimbledon. Recently, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli spoke about the importance of both players to tennis.

Bartoli believes Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty are very important for tennis

Earlier this year, Osaka clinched the Australian Open in convincing fashion. During her path to victory, she defeated Serena Williams and Garbine Muguruza while dropping just one set in the entire tournament.

However, the World No. 2 withdrew during the French Open citing mental health issues. Although the clay-court Grand Slam had some of the biggest names in women’s tennis, including Barty, unseeded Barbora Krejčíková took home her first Grand Slam victory.

Appearing on the Match Points podcast, Bartoli admitted she didn’t know who won the women’s title at the French Open. In addition, she used this instance to indicate how important Osaka and World No. 1 Barty are to the game.

She said, “I was doing an activity the other day in France and I asked the panel — they watched tennis; they watched Roland-Garros — and I asked them who [won] Roland-Garros on the female side. I couldn’t get the name. It happened a week before! This is why for me Naomi (Osaka) — and Ashleigh (Barty) in a way — is so important for women’s tennis.”

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What can fans expect from Osaka and Barty at the Tokyo Olympics?

While the 23-year-old hasn’t been in competitive action since May, she competes in her home country at the upcoming Olympics. Along with the World No. 2 status, Osaka is the reigning champion in the previous two hard-court Grand Slams.

However, she faces the possibility of competing with Wimbledon champion Barty in Tokyo. With the US Open coming up after the Olympics, both players will hope to clinch gold in order to set themselves for the rest of the season.

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