‘Just Focus on Tennis’: Naomi Osaka on the Perks of Playing Without Fans in the Arena

The reigning US Open Champion, Naomi Osaka, has massive expectations to fulfill at the Australian Open 2021. The atmosphere will be different in Melbourne compared to how tennis activities took place during the pandemic last year. Osaka opened up about how a packed arena affected her game! 

Osaka won her second US Open crown last year in an empty arena. No fans were present due to the strict guidelines imposed by the organizers, but as things look relaxed in Melbourne, fans will be allowed inside the arena to root for the players, but only at a 50% capacity.

Naomi Osaka reveals how the lack of a crowd helped her play better tennis

The Coronavirus still looms large, but some regions have been successful in containing it. Melbourne is seeing an average of 6-7 new cases per day, which is far better than the times when the city was on high alert. 

However, a different scenario plagued the Grand Slam at the Flushing Meadows back in 2020. The US Open took place behind closed doors, and in a way, it helped Naomi Osaka clinch the third Slam of her career. 

“Actually, in New York, I missed the crowd, but I was able to sort of just focus on tennis,” Osaka said recently. 

“So in a way, it was kind of good for me because sometimes when I play the crowd, I  want to impress them, so I tend to do things that maybe aren’t the greatest in the situation,” the 23-year-old mentioned. 

But how long can a sport thrive without its fans? Virtual support is eternal, but at one point, even the athletes will miss the cheers and the interaction that they got from fans. Naomi Osaka is no exception! 

“But yeah, the crowd usually gives me a lot of energy because I feel like it’s nice to have people watch what you love to do,” Osaka added. 

Osaka’s best performance at the Australian Open came in 2019 when she went all the way to clinch the women’s singles title? Can she conjure up a similar performance at the ‘Happy Slam’ this year? 

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