"Naomi Osaka ain't getting out the hood";"That draw should be illegal" - Tennis fans react to Japanese facing Danielle Collins in Abu Dhabi Open 1R
Tennis fans recently reacted to Naomi Osaka facing Danielle Collins in the first round of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open.
Osaka is on a comeback trail after taking a break from the tennis circuit last year due to her pregnancy. She gave birth to her daughter, Shai, in July and returned to competitive tennis at the 2024 Brisbane International. The four-time Grand Slam champion won her first match against Tamara Korpatsch there but she faced a tough opponent in Karolina Pliskova, who defeated her in the next round.
The Australian Open campaign was lackluster for Naomi Osaka, whose return to the Grand Slam stage after almost a year was cut short by Caroline Garcia, who defeated her 6-4, 7-6(2) in the first round.
Osaka is now set to compete in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open, having secured a wild card entry into the main draw of the tournament. In addition to her singles campaign, she will team up with Ons Jabeur for the doubles event.
In the opening round of the singles matches, the Japanese will go head-to-head with Danielle Collins and holds a 3-1 lead in their previous encounters. However, it was the American who emerged victorious in their last clash at the 2022 US Open.
Tennis fans were disappointed with the challenging draw that the former World No. 1 received for her first round as they are skeptical of Osaka's chances of winning her match against Collins. They took to social media to share their opinions.
One fan expressed that Osaka would struggle to win matches on her comeback if she continues to face such formidable opponents.
"She ain't never getting out the hood omg 😠," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Another fan expressed their disapproval, claiming that Naomi Osaka's first-round match against Danielle Collins should be "illegal."
"That R1 draw, this should be illegal," the fan posted.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Naomi Osaka following her loss at Australian Open 2024: "I just have to keep living day by day and training hard and playing a lot more matches"
During a press conference at the 2024 Australian Open, following her loss to Caroline Garcia in the first round, Naomi Osaka expressed her frustration and her disappointment in being unable to win matches.
"The competitor in me is really frustrated that I'm not winning these matches, of course," Naomi Osaka said.
Osaka acknowledged that she was well aware that her comeback would not be a walk in the park, and she did not expect to win a tournament right away. Nevertheless, she held onto the hope of achieving that feat.
The former World No. 1 revealed that she will be taking each day as it comes, dedicating herself to "training hard," and playing many more matches to increase her chances of winning more.
"So I wouldn't say, like, this comeback is how I thought because I'm delusional enough to think I could have won the tournament. I think my delusion is what allows me to win the tournaments. Yeah, I think I just have to keep living day by day and training hard and playing a lot more matches, and hopefully my dreams will come true," she added.