“Because in this kind of circumstance, they feel obliged, or they feel pressure that they have to meet the expectations of the other brother or sister. James Blake, the Miami Open tournament director, said the decision to double the number of Osakas in the draw had been an easy one. “Obviously Naomi is someone that’s accomplished so much, and you want to encourage her sister as well,” Blake said. They realize that this is a big opportunity for her.”It is rarer for the younger sibling to make a splash on tour first. For most of their childhoods, Mari had dominated her younger sister in practice matches.

Source: New York Times March 22, 2019 03:00 UTC