Osaka, who was 22 then and had already won two Grand Slam titles, told Swiatek that was a terrible idea.
Swiatek took Osaka’s advice, and good thing she did. Nine months later she came out of nowhere to win the French Open while she was ranked 54th in the world.
Swiatek ended a run that Osaka hopes will mark the beginning of the next chapter of her turbulent career with a 6-4, 6-0 win to cement her remarkable rise to the top of her sport.
Next week, Swiatek will officially take over the No. 1 ranking, the first player from Poland to rise to that lofty perch.
For Osaka, this tournament marked a remarkable turnaround that few saw coming, even if she felt like it was not far off. Just three weeks ago at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells,