Naomi Osaka isn’t old. At 24, she isn’t even tennis old. But ever since her US Open breakthrough in 2018 , the precocious Japanese player has grown in stature. She is the only player in the past decade, apart from Serena Williams, to win back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments, twice, and the only one to win more than three majors. In an era of unreal depth in women’s tennis, where the winner’s baton changes hands after almost every major, Osaka has already established herself as a rarity. She is the leader of the pack, the voice of her generation. It isn’t surprising then that she feels the weight of expectations every time she steps onto a hard court. “For me, it is very interesting to play against the younger players,” she had said like an old-timer after winning the second round of the Australian Open and setting up a clash with 20-year-old Amanda Anisimova. “Because I remember being a younger player myself and feeling like I have nothing to lose.” Like her serve, Osaka’s prediction