For Joel Tansey's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
It was March and Naomi Osaka had just won the biggest match of her life, fulfilling the promise that many pundits had long foreseen. But it wasn't just her brilliant game that had the tennis world abuzz — it was her awkward personality and down-to-earth ...
Naomi Osaka fired an unreturnable serve, pulled her visor down over her eyes and strolled to the net to hug her childhood idol. For the first time on a drama-filled Saturday evening in New York, the 20-year-old looked overwhelmed. Playing in her first ...
At just 17 years of age, Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 U.S. Open. Fifteen months younger than her sister Venus, Serena did what big sis failed to do in the 1997 tournament and topped World No. 1 Martina ...
Onlookers who wrote Naomi Osaka off in the early stages of the deciding set of her fourth-round encounter with Aryna Sabalenka can probably be given a pass. Judging by her body language, the 20-year-old may have been close to throwing in the towel herself. Down a ...
It's been a long road back from major knee surgery for Yoshihito Nishioka. It got a little bit longer last week when he drew Roger Federer in the first round of the U.S. Open. And the reality of the situation wasn't lost on the 22-year-old. "I haven't ...
With 2018 wins over Grand Slam champions Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova as well as reigning world No. 1 Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka has proven that she, too, has the potential to win a major — or perhaps several. And the game's upper ...
Up until the midway point of the second set of his fourth-round match with Ernests Gulbis, it appeared Manic Monday was going to get the best of Kei Nishikori once again. Having fallen twice previously on the day of Wimbledon's annual tennis smorgasbord — where ...
This time last year, Naomi Osaka was ranked No. 59 and preparing for her Wimbledon debut while still in search of her first WTA title. A lot has changed over the past 12 months for the promising 20-year-old and expectations for her second appearance at ...
