"The pressure will be on for them": Naomi Osaka draw potential nightmare for Swiatek, Rybakina and Sabalenka says Barbara Schett
WTA
Although thousands of fans will be excited to see Naomi Osaka return to the tennis court, rivals of the Japanese superstar may not be as pleased at her turn.
Osaka has been out of action since giving birth to her son in July, but the former World No.1 has announced her intentions to return. Osaka is set to compete at the upcoming Brisbane International, with her main goal being to make a good impression at the subsequent 2024 Australian Open.
Current top-ranked players will not want to face Osaka, says Schett
Tennis analyst Barbara Schett believes Osaka will be a threat to anyone she faces, and the top-ranked players would prefer not to play her in Australia.
"I think she still has a lot of tennis in her," said Schett in a recent appearance on Eurosport. "I've seen a few videos of the way she was practicing; she's looking fit. We know that she can hit the ball extremely hard, so pace is not going to be a problem at all. And one thing is for sure, an Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina, does not want to play against somebody like Naomi Osaka. The pressure will be on for them."
Ho-hum... I guess we can put a lot of this nonsense to rest. I'm merely a man, but I'm not buying into the Tennis Mother Club thing. These players are not going to experience some mystical edge just because they had a kid or two. They are likely to be the player they were before they made their "comeback". Perhaps their mental game will/can change -- but don't see their abilities improving due to some hormonal enlightening process following birth.
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