Iga Swiatek recently walked out of Paris with immense glory. While the Pole lifted the Roland Garros title for the fourth time at the age of 23, the world received a new ray of expectations. Out of all the opponents that she defeated in her 19-match win streak starting from Madrid, the second-round showdown against Naomi Osaka turned out to be the most discussed one. And while Swiatek was on the winning side, the Japanese player also received her fair share of praise for putting up that battle.

In a recent episode of the “Tennis Channel Inside In” podcast, former pro Greg Rusedski revealed his pick of the main highlight at Roland Garros. The British-Canadian described the match between Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek as the focus, “I think I had a few lasting images. I think, to welcome back Naomi Osaka.”

The match took place on May 29, 2024, in the second round of the French Open. Naomi Osaka, who recently found her way back to the scene after giving birth to her daughter Shai, took the court against the champions in Madrid and Rome. The thrilling encounter on Court Philippe Chatrier lasted nearly three hours.

Explaining how the match was special out of all the showdowns Iga Swiatek took part in, the former British No. 1 added, “I mean, to me that was the match in the women’s event vs Swiatek. Swiatek having to save a match point and then really cruising from there on and showing us her dominance.”

The Japanese seemed to be quite determined to leave her mark. She started well by winning the first set in a tiebreak 7-6 (7-1). However, Swiatek managed to turn the tables in the second set, winning it with the scoreboard depicting a massive 6-1. While both of them stood at even positions, everyone had their attention on the third set. It came out to be a nail-biter as Swiatek had to save a match point but managed to emerge victorious with a 7-5 win in the final set.

Despite the setback, Osaka seemed to be really happy because of her in-form display. The fact that she dragged Iga Swiatek into a situation of pressure made her earn the confidence that she needed at this particular phase of her career.

Naomi Osaka receives new content for her little diary

Those who have followed Naomi Osaka for a long time know that she maintains a journal. Her dedication to writing her thoughts down is evident because of the moments in which she was seen swirling a pen on the court before or after her matches. While the showdown with Iga Swiatek boosted her confidence, she decided to express pride in herself.

“You know I have my little book, right? In it today I just wrote: ‘I’m proud of you'” Osaka said, in her post-match interview. Optimizing more such moments and improvement in her form, the Japanese added, “Hopefully it will get more and more positive.” This showed that it isn’t just victories that Naomi Osaka craves for right now. While she had to keep herself out for a long while, the WTA star requires confidence to be more stable in the events ahead.