With the women’s currently possessing such strength and depth, the elite players are constantly having to boost their weapons to stay at the forefront.
Japanese star Naomi Osaka is doing just that.
Tournamernt data, powered by Infosys, has revealed that almost all elements of Osaka’s game – serves, returns and groundstrokes – have ramped up in power with each visit to the Australian Open.
When still a raw talent, Osaka’s average first serve speed at AO 2017 was 168.5km/h, yet increased to 173.2km/h in 2019 – the year she lifted the title.
On Wednesday, Osaka demonstrated the serve has stepped up a notch, averaging 176km/h against Caroline Garcia in the second round and peaking with a 195km/h cannonball.
MORE: Osaka onslaught too much for Garcia
Osaka, now a three-time major champion, has complimented those searing serves with increasingly powerful groundstrokes, coinciding with her surge to the top of the rankings.
Her forehand wing in 2017 averaged 109.3km/h, which had increased to 119km/h by 2020. And Osaka’s backhand also packs more of a punch, rising from an average speed of 107.7km/h in 2017 to 118.1 last year at Melbourne Park.
Osaka’s return has ramped up too, helping keep opponents off balance. In 2017 she was striking these at an average of 93km/h off first deliveries; by AO 2020, this average speed had increased by more than 13km/h, to 106.4km/h.
This pulsating power has enabling the world No.3 to dictate from the get-go at AO 2021.
Three-time AO quarterfinalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was swatted aside 6-1 6-2 in the first round before Osaka reached the last 32 with another emphatic victory against former top-10 talent Garcia.
Osaka’s power and aggression was particularly evident against Garcia, whom she dismissed 6-2 6-3.
There were only four rallies in the entire match of 9+ strokes, with Osaka stepping up, striking aggressively and keeping the action short. The match contained 100 points, and 81 of them had a rally length of 0-4 shots.
Short and sharp.
And clean. Osaka struck 18 winners against 11 unforced errors when beating Pavlyuchenkova; 23 winners blazed past Garcia, against just 14 unforced errors.
MORE: Osaka off and running in Melbourne
With such an artillery, and impressive execution, Osaka is unsurprisingly a strong favourite to regain her title at Melbourne Park.
Tunisian 27th seed Ons Jabeur is next in the firing line on Friday.