Naomi Osaka was reduced to tears as she secured an emotional win over Belinda Bencic to reach the Miami Open final.
The former world No 1 came back from a set down to defeat the Olympic champion 4-6 6-3 6-4 and reach her first WTA Tour final since she triumphed at the 2021 Australian Open. It was a key win for Osaka after Bencic had won the pair’s last three meetings.
The tennis star entered this tournament ranked 77th in the world but she will leave Miami at least as high as 36th - and will be back in the top 30 if she wins the title. The four-time Grand Slam champion is only playing in her fourth event of the year, including her Australian Open title defence which ended in the third round.
The 24-year-old hid her face in an orange towel a few times immediately after securing the win, as she became overwhelmed with positive emotion. She praised the crowd and admitted her glee at reaching the final in Miami.
“Damn, I’m almost crying,” Osaka said to huge cheers from the crowd. “This tournament means a lot to me. It’s my first time in the final here and I’m really thankful. It’s been a while since I've been in a final - I think it was the Australian Open last year - so thank you guys so much, I really love you from the bottom of my heart.”
She then took to Twitter to celebrate her victory, writing: “Man idk what’s going on but I’m just so grateful right now. Cheers to the ups and downs of life for making me appreciate this moment even more. We’re back in a final, see you on Saturday.”
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It has been a particularly emotional and turbulent time for Osaka, who is a public advocate for mental health. She was heckled and reduced to tears by a heckler in the crowd during a defeat at Indian Wells in March, left the US Open in tears and withdrew from the 2021 French Open due to focus on her mental health.
Osaka will face incoming world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the final, which takes place on Saturday at 16:00 BST. Swiatek, the second seed, won Indian Wells last week and defeated American Jessica Pegula 6-2 7-5 to advance.
Swiatek is the first player to reach the finals of both American hard-court events since Victoria Azarenka, who won both tournaments in 2016, and the 20-year-old is on a 16-match winning streak and has since won 18 consecutive sets. Swiatek has not faced Osaka since 2019 when the Japanese star won in straight sets, but has since gone on to lift her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 French Open.
