“Before a match, my ritual is to put on water-resistant sunscreen, tie up my hair in a bun or ponytail, then listen to one song. If I win, I listen to that same song before every single match,” said Naomi Osaka in a 2019 interview while unveiling her superstitious side. Was this the secret ingredient to her getting past opponents like Magda Linette, Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitová, etc., to win her first Australian Open in the same year? Well, it can be a yes or a no, but for Osaka there is a series of Superstitions. From breakfast to music to shoes…
Osaka’s breakfast routine in Australia has been remarkably consistent since her arrival on Christmas Eve: smoked salmon, sunny-side-up eggs, and an omelette. “I always have to eat the same thing for breakfast, and I’m quite tired of it at this point,” Osaka revealed with a laugh in an interview with the NZ Herald.
She explained how superstition influences other parts of her day, saying, “..So, same thing for breakfast. I listen to the same music walking on to the court. Same music in the car. I tie my right shoe on and then my left shoe. It’s a lot. It can get very exhausting.”
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Osaka’s superstitions extend to the court as well. At the 2022 Australian Open, she revealed, “Every time I’ve come here, I really don’t like stepping on the lines or the Melbourne logo in the back,” she said after defeating Camila Osorio in the first round. Throughout the match, Naomi Osaka meticulously avoided stepping on a line, even backtracking if she inadvertently brushed it. Another ritual involves her water bottles. “I need my water bottles to be completely straight,” she added.
Well, “I mean, you know, all tennis players are superstitious,” as Osaka put it, do you know Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams also had their own set of superstitions?
Nadal, a legend of the men’s game, is renowned for his superstitions. From his meticulous court entry with a single racket and his right-foot-first line crossings to his precise gel-squeezing ritual (one fold, four squeezes), his superstitions are numerous. He even has a specific arrangement for his water bottles (diagonal, facing the court, labels towards him) and a pre-serve underwear adjustment. These quirks, along with his well-known hair-tucking and court-line avoidance, are part of his unique on-court persona.
As for Williams, she tied her laces in exactly the same way, used the same shower before each match, and bounced the ball five times before the first serve. But only twice before the second. After losing her match at the 2007 French Open, she said, “… I’m not losing because I didn’t play well, I lost because I didn’t tie my shoe the right way and it’s totally ridiculous because I have to use the same shower, I have to use the same sandals, I have to travel with the same bags.”
After a two-year hiatus from finals appearances(the last final coming at the 2022 Miami Open), Osaka suffered a defeat she jokingly attributed to breaking one of her superstitions.
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Naomi Osaka loses the ASB Classic final apparently due to not following her ritual
Naomi Osaka’s return to a tournament final ended in disappointment as she was forced to retire in the ASB Classic final against Clara Tauson. Osaka started strong, taking the first set 6-4.However, the 27-year-old Japanese star was forced to retire from the match due to an apparent abdominal injury, raising concerns about her readiness for the upcoming Australian Open.
Reflecting on the match, Osaka humorously pointed to skipping her pre-game ritual as a potential reason for the outcome. “Now that you mention it, I didn’t eat breakfast today, so maybe that’s why I should stick to my superstitions,” she said with a laugh. “I want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city. I had a lot of fun playing here. I’m really sorry about how it ended. I’m just really grateful to be here,” she added, clearly emotional.
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Her opponent Clara Tauson also appreciated the way Naomi Osaka played and said she wasn’t happy with the way the match ended. “Of course, when I process this, I’m going to be super happy about my week. I’m happy that I won, but not really,” she added.
Osaka’s journey to the final was marked by exceptional form, losing just one set throughout the tournament. However, the ending was far from what she or her fans had hoped for. With the Australian Open next in side, she would want to keep her form going. Will she be able to ensure just that?