Sport…what emotions come to you when you think about athletes in sport? Determination, inspiration, a role model. Do we ever acknowledge the athletes when they aren’t at their best unless it is slammed across social media? Of course not, because athletes are expected to show how strong and confident, they are. There is an expectation to impress everybody else; however, behind these matches are athletes who are using all of their mental and emotional resources to fight their inner battle.
Naomi ‘s performance in the Australian Open Finals against Jennifer Brady
Naomi Osaka, a prime athlete as people of all ages look up to her, inspire to be her. In past games, Osaka has struggled to control her emotions if she is frustrated with her play or her opponent; however, we saw a huge turn around in Osaka’s attitude within the Australian open final against Jennifer Brady. Did she want to be seen as a role model now, as before this was a very strong responsibility for her to uptake?
She mentioned in her press conference that the reason behind her not wanting to take up the role of being a role model to her fans is because she is afraid of bad press and them twisting her actions. For example, she was scared that people were going to slam her if she slammed her racquet. Within tennis, there are a lot of incidents where great athletes slam their racquets to the floor for their own apparent reasons. Serena Williams has done it, Marat Safin has done it and so has Naomi Osaka during the Australian open battle against Garbine Muguruza. With tennis players, these actions are usually consequences of their frustration.
There are a number of reasons as to why Osaka’s attitude improved within that game. She expressed that one of the reasons was that she had realized that it’s no longer a weight of responsibility to carry around but an honor that people are looking up to her and following her journey as she grows in her career as an athlete. Within that, Osaka has an extreme amount of determination and stride as she was playing back at the place where she had experienced a lot of anger The last time that Osaka played at the Australian opens in 2018, she reached the fourth round before she was defeated by Simona Halep. This may have been a blessing in disguise as coming back, it encouraged her to have more motivation to work on her faults and work harder on her returns, which is what caused her to lack last time when competing against Jennifer Brady at the 2020 US open semi-finals. This experience has allowed her to come to peace with the matches she plays and be grateful for the career that she has built.
In the final, Osaka showed unshakable determination, mentally and physically to overcome the unfavorable weather. Osaka prepared herself early by using her tactical skills into play. She was timing her returns and firing them deep into her toes, knowing that Brady would miss it and that she would steal the point for herself. When Osaka is at her best, she uses the platform to dominate the court by using it to her advantage. She showed outstanding gamesmanship by keeping herself composed without any frustration; however, she mentioned that it was a difficult journey to win another slam.
Her honesty is her strength
Now, let’s talk about reality!
Every athlete at one point or another whether it’s before a match or after a match goes through an emotional rollercoaster, its overwhelming! It makes you anxious and excited at the same time and yet people cannot see the difference. Most athletes who deny having these feelings are too afraid to say how they feel, maybe they believe being nervous or anxious is a weakness in the public eye. This is where Naomi stands out in her approach.
She is not afraid to be herself in the public eye and honestly express how she feels because these feelings are normal and this can be down to who an athlete’s opponent is, their level of experience, or their lifestyle- there are several factors that can influence an athlete’s matchday mindset. Osaka openly spoke about how nervous she was before this game and how she prepared to keep going in challenging situations as a couple of bad moves could have changed everything. As an athlete, it is important to have pre-game routines, breathing techniques, and visualization skills to manage any match-day anxiety.
In the same interview about the final match, Naomi was far from short when expressing her emotions as she openly spoke about the pressure that she felt and how she’d ‘never had to fight so hard as she had against Brady at the US Open and now again at the Australian Open final. Naomi Osaka has previously shown great mental resilience; however, this game against Brady was ripping her apart as she spoke about it being a real mental battle. Osaka revealed that she had risen above extreme nerves, the doubt of not playing well, and the pressure to be perfect for everyone else.
Being in this position is difficult but once you realize that this is your game, your career, your future and that you don’t have to be theperfect athlete’ to win every game, just like Osaka did, you go out there, enjoy yourself and fight for every point. In my opinion, whether you’re an athlete or just an individual, you need to be honest with yourself and accept your feelings. Only then you can act upon it and work out a resolution to the feelings that you are experiencing in order to be happier and improve yourself.
In some aspects I can relate to Naomi Osaka as being part of a cheerleading team, you are expected to perform for everyone else and you can’t afford to mess up and let them down; whereas, when I was an independent gymnast, I experienced a whole different perception of expectations as I had to be strong for myself and it was my career and my future that I was fighting for. Therefore, if I didn’t perform well, I had no one else to blame but myself; but as a collective group, the responsibility is equally distributed amongst the squad. Your team can lift you but also catch you when you are falling down
Other's expectations and maintaining that 'Strong athlete' image for the fans
A good athlete is primarily focused on the physical input towards the sport; to be a great athlete you need to have strength, courage and sportsmanship. Naomi Osaka thrives for greatness. She quoted within an interview that ‘tennis isn’t a solo sport’, which showed that as a collective group athletes, individuals and community can all support each other to achieve and build their self-esteem, confidence, while motivating each other to be better.
Ignore the ‘what if’s, the outcome can be whatever you want it to be if you have the motivation. Osaka had the daunting expectation from her fans to perform better due to her participating in previous slam, and this overriding thought also encouraged her to sympathize with Brady as it was Brady’s first-ever slam while Osaka herself was well acquainted with the pressure and nerves that came with it. Osaka is a prime example of someone who can be confident and happy. Even though she is a star athlete, she does experience times where she questions her skills and ability to win. However, the media can be deceptive as they don’t always show what’s happening behind the scenes
In my view, the Australian Opens was an overwhelming experience for Osaka to say the least, but the most important thing that I learned from her was that ‘ITS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY’. She is honest about her journey and openly share every experience with others. It’s okay if you are not sure about yourself; athletes are forced to be the ‘strong athlete’ that everyone pictures them to be, but Osaka destroyed this façade because she doesn’t compete to win but to learn. She knows it’s not a sprint but a marathon! Since following her journey, I have realised that she has created a new identity of what an athlete needs to look like as she has started seeing herself through her own eyes and not everyone else’s. She has started focusing on her own expectations! We have a lot to take away from her experience.
About the Author
Daniella Jordan will pursue Sports and Exercise Psychology at University in September 2021. She has competed in Gymnastics and Cheerleading.
Being an athlete was always something special to me. It gave me the confidence to become who I am today and allowed me to express myself while enjoying new opportunities. From a young age, I have been competing in gymnastics and cheerleading. My passion for sports and the happiness it gives me are indescribable.
I want to learn how the athletes manage their emotions, the pressures they are put under and any challenges they face when they compete in the sport. I am excited to learn more!