Black Tennis Pros

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka at 2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

The Australian and US Open champion, 21, was beaten 6-3 6-3 by France's Kristina Mladenovic in the Dubai Tennis Championships second round.

It was her first match since since splitting with Sascha Bajin last week.

Asked if she could block out reaction to the news she said, "I couldn't. This match is the result of that."

"I'm pretty sure as time goes on you guys will stop talking about it. For now, it's like the biggest tennis news, I guess.

"It's a little bit hard because I feel like people are staring at me, and not like in a good way."

"For sure there's no one that really thinks losing is fun," Osaka said during the Japanese portion of her press conference. "But for me, I've always been taught that when you lose, you learn more than when you win. I try to take that as really important advice because I think it is true."

Osaka, who had a bye in the first round, lost in 66 minutes in round two against a player who had not won a match this year before this tournament.

Despite the loss, Osaka will head to Indian Wells with the No.1 ranking intact as she prepares for another career milestone: defending a title for the first time in her career.

"I'm not really sure [how I'll feel] because I've never been a defending champion," Osaka said. "Hopefully I remember all the good times that I've had there, somehow start feeling better about myself.

"But I can't really say until I get there."

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Twenty-one-year-old Naomi Osaka has consolidated her U.S. Open Grand Slam Title with a consecutive title taken at the 2019 Australian Open.

This title acquisition was no easy victory for Osaka. Twenty-eight-year-old Petra Kvitová of the Czech Republic definitely intended to seal her 2019 Australian Open journey with a victory also.  Both women brought the intensity and fight that makes a final worth watching.

The three-set match that endured many ups and down from both players, ending in Kvitová being defeated 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4

Naomi and her father Leonard François

Post match Osaka said, "For me, Grand Slams is something you dream about playing as a kid," said the new top-ranked player in the world, during her press conference. "I don't ever want to waste this opportunity. So those are the biggest motivating factors for me."

"I had dreams that I would win this tournament, every time I have a dream, somehow I accomplish it, I still feel like it's a very strange moment. Like, I feel like I'm living right now, but it's not necessarily real, if that makes sense."


“I feel like it hasn't really sunk in,” admitted Osaka, who snapped a streak of eight different female Grand Slam champions in the past two years.

“Maybe in the next tournament I play, if I see the No.1 next to my name, I'll feel something. But for now, I'm more happy that I won this trophy.

“I would assume my next goal is to win the next tournament I play. Like, I'm going to have to play Indian Wells again. Of course, I'd love to win that again and then play Miami and hopefully win that. I think people that can win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, it's usually the best players in the world.

“I feel like I'm going with the flow. That's sort of been my motto my whole life.”

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Victoria Duval of Miami, Florida during 2012 US Open first round.

It is always gratifying to witness the inception of a career when a player experiences that first tour level match, especially when that match occurs at one of the four majors that comprise the Grand Slam. In this case the 2012 US Open.

Sixteen-year-old Haitian-American Victoria Duval was afforded just such an opportunity on Monday night when she played her first WTA Tour match against veteran and second-time-retiring Kim Clijsters of Belgium.

Duval recently won the singles title at the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships, giving her a wild-card entry to the US Open. Though born in Miami, Florida, Duval spent most of her first eight years in Haiti with her parents, including time training at the JOTAC Tennis Academy in Port-au-Prince. Her father, Jean-Maurice Duval, a doctor in Port-au-Prince, was injured in Haiti's 2010 devestating earthquake.

The 16-year-old began the first round match against Clijsters fearlessly. She seemed so delighted whenever she won a point and the crowd applauded her effort. She would look up into the stands and smile at what seemed to be incredible moments.

Though Duval lost the match 6-3, 6-1, the talent that brought her to this moment was obvious.

After the match Duval continued to delight during her interview.

"She asked me for a photograph for her memories, but I'm the one who should have been asking for a photo for my memories," Duval said.

"She's been my idol. I felt like the luckiest 16-year-old ever. I was really nervous, I was freaking out. I was so excited I can't even explain."

Clijsters said the tender years of her opponent reminded her of playing Steffi Graf at Wimbledon as a 16-year-old.

"It's been a very long time," Clijsters said. "I obviously wasn't in that position where I played my first-ever match on tour in such a big stadium.

"I played Steffi at Wimbledon and she was my big idol so it kind of takes you back through a lot of emotions and memories.

"We spoke a bit after the match. She was really sweet. She's a very nice girl."

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As the death toll continues to rise in Haiti, Wyclef continued his humanitarian efforts by speaking out publicly in an effort to encourage people across the world to donate to aid efforts. Read his statement and how you can help below:

“Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake – and several very strong aftershocks – struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince. I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now. President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.”

Many people have already reached out to see what they can do right now. We are asking those interested to please do one of two things: Either you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can visit www.Yele.org and click on DONATE.

For full article including images go to www.Bossip.com.

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