When Rohit Sharma finally did a Century Test Abroad at the Oval, one commentator asked: Is Rohit happy now or relieved? It was a question that hung around for a while and then dissipated as the match progressed.

In a remarkable coincidence, halfway around the world, tennis star Naomi Osaka answered this question on her own. She had just lost a third round match at the US Open to Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez.

“For me recently, when I win, I don’t feel happy,” Osaka said. “I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think this is normal. Then she said she was taking a break from the game.

Success in any field, not just in sport, should inspire both happiness and relief. You are happy that you got this promotion, but you are also relieved that you can repay part of a loan. You are happy to have won an Olympic medal, but you are also relieved that all your hard work and sacrifices have paid off.

But it’s when relief dominates that you suspect you don’t enjoy what you’re doing – whether it’s in sports, writing novels, or whatever profession you’ve chosen because you love it. “I’ll retire when I’m not enjoying it anymore,” a senior player often says, more importantly. No one says, “I’ll play while I’m relieved.” “

It’s not hard to imagine that Rohit and Osaka in their different estates, in different time zones and against all odds were happy and relieved. For Rohit, it was a monkey on the back. A skewed record in favor of home performances is hardly the legacy every player dreams of. To this extent there is relief. On the other hand, he’s enjoying the century both for himself and for what he has to mean for his team’s chances.

Not feeling happy when you win, as in Osaka’s case, is unnatural and takes sympathy and understanding. Think about it. You’ve spent a lot of your life doing the one thing you love, and doing it better than anyone else. Suddenly everything becomes a chore. You’re training in a match, you have to keep talking to yourself about doing your best, and when you do, winning doesn’t seem to matter. It is almost Chekhovian.

What Osaka will want more than anything is to be left alone, to regain her balance at her own pace and at her own pace. She is only 23 years old and it is unfair to expect her to take on the pressure of being a tennis champion, a role model for Asians and a globe-trotting ambassador for the game, without something going on. crack.

Rohit Sharma will be abroad for more than centuries, Naomi Osaka has time to add to her four Grand Slam tournaments. Happiness is not the end product of their efforts, it has to be part of the process.