COMMENT
Cape Town can be a miserable place in June. It’s cold, wet, and windy — most often all at the same time.
Yet, the June school holidays remain some of my fondest memories. I would tuck myself under the blankets and immerse myself in the action on the lush green lawn courts of Wimbledon.
And when the fickle weather eventually decided to play ball, I would go out with my mates to imitate the forehands of my idols, Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi, on a makeshift Centre Court in the street.
Those were the days. Over time, however, my infatuation dwindled as Wimbledon’s television coverage moved solely across to a pay-channel.
The love affair was rekindled last year when I had the opportunity to attend the world’s most famous tennis tournament. It was my second visit to SW19 after sneaking into Centre Court back in 2009, but this time I was in for the long haul, standing in the famed queue for a ticket.
After numerous hours, I finally entered the great arena and all those wonderful memories came flooding back. I was smitten once more — and it had nothing to do with the strawberries and cream.
This year, I haven’t been able to make my way to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, but I have still been engrossed by the tennis on display. Not even the insanely dreadful broadcast hours of the Fifa World Cup can keep me away.
And as a reward, I watched Naomi Osaka send World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka packing. It was Osaka’s first win on Centre Court, leaving Sabalenka wanting “to get drunk and forget” Wimbledon because, as she put it, “I f***ed it up this year.”
Now, by the time you read this column, Osaka may already have exited Wimbledon after facing Karolína Muchová in the quarter-finals on Tuesday afternoon — but I sincerely hope not.
Osaka is a box-office hit. As the first Asian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, she carries immense gravitas, spreading the gospel of tennis globally. The Japanese superstar appeals to different generations. Her unique fashion style — she wore a traditional, all-white, kimono-inspired robe to her first-round match — further diversifies her audience.
She is also a proud mom to three-year-old Shai and has been candid about her mental health struggles, with her raw vulnerability appealing to the masses. Being a mother seems to have helped her cope better with the pressure of professional tennis; she now just wants to have “fun” out on the court.
Osaka is disliked by some for the very reasons she is adored by her supporters, but her presence and continued success on the court are crucial to a sport that desperately needs new heroes.
I fell in love with Wimbledon — and tennis as a whole — all those years ago watching the likes of Lendl, Agassi, Steffi Graf, and Gabriela Sabatini. Osaka is now doing that for the next generation. While they may not be going out into the streets to pick up tennis racquets, they are certainly posting clips of her tremendous serve or latest outfit on Instagram Reels.
And that can only be a good thing for the game.
