＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
The news that Naomi Osaka, who had won two consecutive Grand Slam titles under Coach Sasha Bein at the U.S. and Australian Nationals and rose to the world’s No. 1 ranking, had dismissed Coach Sasha Bein came as a shock to the world.
Her failure to reveal the reason for this and her subsequent poor performance seem to have led to further speculation.
In addition, there was now news that Christophe Jean, a “former coach” who had coached her tennis as a junior, had filed a lawsuit against her, claiming that she had a written agreement to pay him 20% of her winnings in perpetuity.
１．Coach Dismissal Scandal
Coach Sasha Bain was often seen on television running up to her between games to give her “mental advice”.
She had a bad habit of getting frustrated and self-destructive when her play did not go her way despite her ability, but there is no doubt that Coach Sasha Bein covered it well and was instrumental in getting her back on her feet and leading her to two consecutive Grand Slam wins and the world No. 1 ranking.
However, she had long been distrustful of his “technical coaching” and had a desire for a coach who could provide more advanced technical instruction.
He has indeed been a “hitting partner” (practice partner) for Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, but Naomi Osaka is the first “full-fledged coach” for him.
Under such circumstances, there are rumors that Coach Sasha Bein demanded a “doubling of coaching fees,” which led to her “dismissal. However, nothing has been officially announced.
The slump after the “dismissal” may have been due to the media chasing him after he became world number one, the fact that his weaknesses began to be studied by his opponents, as well as the heartache caused by such an uproar.
２．Lawsuit filed by former coach
Christophe Jean, a “former coach” who coached her for several years during her junior years, claims that her father told him at the time that he could not pay her coaching fees, so he signed a “promotion agreement” with her that he would pay her 20% of any future winnings, and when her side did not accept this, he filed a lawsuit. Her side did not accept this, so he filed suit.
However, according to her lawyer, the agreement is a “fictitious contract” with “only the month and date but no year,” which she does not recall signing, and “the sisters’ signatures are in the same handwriting,” making it a ridiculous claim, he said.
I do believe that a “contract to pay 20% of future prize money to a coach who only coached her for a few years in her junior years in perpetuity” is a “rip-off” contract that is “against public order and morals,” even if the father really signed it at that time.
I am sure the court will make a “fair decision”, but even so, this is a glaring example of how people flock together like “ants to sugar” when there is money in it.
I have heard that when a person wins a high-dollar lottery ticket, the number of requests for donations suddenly increases, as if information leaks from some source.
I have also heard that even if you do not face such “requests for money,” you can “ruin your life” if you suddenly come into possession of a large sum of money. If you know of such a situation, please be careful.
３．Naomi Osaka’s Future Challenges
From now on, I hope that under her new coach, Jermaine Jenkins, she will once again be able to play with a bright smile on her face.
However, contrary to such expectations, in watching her subsequent matches, we often witness her “throwing a tantrum” or “slamming her racket down on the court” when she makes a mistake. This kind of behavior, which is sometimes seen in Kei Nishikori, is unsightly and not pleasant for the spectators.
Contrast this with Ichiro, who treats his tools with great care. I would say, “Taking it out on your tools is useless!”
She’s back to her old temper tantrum, even though Coach Sasha Bein has given her guidance on strengthening her mentality.
I am disappointed.
The new Coach Jermaine Jenkins was shown on TV running up to her and giving her “mental advice” just like Coach Bein did.
It may be a layman’s idea, but I think what she needs now is a mental coach like Coach Vine rather than a highly technical coach.
Also, I think that in order to overcome this slump, she ultimately needs to change herself (become an adult). As Ai Miyazato, a golf player, said, strengthening the mental aspect is an issue that top-class athletes cannot avoid.
<9/13/2020 postscript>Naomi Osaka! Congratulations on your second US Open title!
She won the title by defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the end of a full set. She has now won three Grand Slam titles. Her world ranking will also move up from 9th to 3rd.
This time, the event also attracted attention because they appeared with “black masks with the names of the victims written on them” (seven in total) as a “sign of protest against discrimination against blacks. He also appealed to the whole world about it in his speech after his victory.
At this year’s U.S. Open, I felt that the mental aspect of her game was strengthened as she regained her footing even when she seemed to be on the verge of collapse.