[Singles Final]
Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-1, 6-0 Ashlyn Krueger (USA)

■The score may have seemed more one-sided than the match itself. After her semifinal match, Krueger had said that the fast court suited her game, and she continued to strike the ball cleanly and played aggressively in the final. But Siniakova was even better. She consistently drove the ball deep and had little trouble redirecting her opponent’s powerful shots down the line. Siniakova, too, had said that the relatively fast court surface suited her game “very well.” Perhaps the hard courts at Utsubo in Osaka felt like her own backyard.

■The quality of Siniakova’s shots made it difficult for Krueger to dictate play as she had in her earlier matches. Krueger was forced to go for big shots from not-so-perfect positions and sometimes rushed to end points. Siniakova’s tenacity also took its toll on her opponent. Even when pulled wide and forced to run, she did more than simply retrieve the ball; she managed to drive it into the corners with precision. Her strength in the exchanges at the net and along the baseline was particularly impressive, and at times Krueger simply ran out of options to combat her opponent’s relentless resistance.

■“Everything went the way I wanted. I’m proud of what I accomplished and how I played. I’m very satisfied,” Siniakova said proudly. Recognizing that she was playing well seemed to give her extra confidence and helped her move freely around the court, which in turn kept her shots consistent. “I didn’t have any particular expectations for the result. I just hoped to get through the tournament without any injuries. But I played good tennis and won the title, too. To get this result late in the season has given me confidence. It showed me that I’m capable of playing matches like this,” she added with a shy smile.

■Siniakova is best known as a doubles specialist, currently ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles having won 39 doubles titles. She has also won five singles titles in her career. When planning her schedule, she gives priority to singles. Still, drawing on some bitter experiences in the past, she says she no longer focuses solely on winning. Staying healthy and enjoying the game are equally important to her. “Rather than focusing on winning or losing, I want to enjoy the atmosphere of the city and the tournament and make this part of my life a better experience,” she said.

■Siniakova also won the Osaka Mayor’s Cup World Super Junior Tennis Championships at the same venue in 2012, making this her first triumph in Osaka in 14 years. She went on to win the women’s doubles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. After securing her place in the final, she remarked, “I have so many wonderful memories of Japan. I guess I really do love Japan.” With this latest victory, another major title has been added to that collection of happy memories.

(Japan Tennis Association)