On Monday, Naomi Osaka will face France’s Caroline Garcia in the opening round of the women’s singles at the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka26, will return to the grand slam courts at the Australian Open after a year-and-a-half hiatus when she takes on France in the opening round of the women’s singles on Monday Caroline Garcia.
Former world number one Osaka’s long break from top games is due to motherhood. She gave birth to her daughter Shai in July.
Osaka told the BBC at the beginning of the year that her daughter has made her a “more complete” person.
– You could say that I needed him in my life. I’m the type who can’t think clearly. I make rash decisions and he has helped me grow a lot as a person. I am much more satisfied with the way I am when I know that there is a little person who loves me in every situation, Osaka said.
Osaka has previously suffered from public pressure and, for example, boycotted press conferences citing mental health reasons. He caused confusion by withdrawing from the 2021 French Open tennis tournament.
– There was a period when everything felt really hectic. Now I’m fine and actually much better than before. I feel calm and relaxed, Osaka described.
– Being a mother has made me realize how strong I am, and how strong all mothers are.
Where will Osaka reach?
Naomi Osaka has won the Australian Open twice (2019 and 2021), as well as the US Open (2018 and 2020). She came to the attention of the general public in the summer of 2018, when she became the first Japanese female player ever to win a grand slam final in the United States.
In 2022, Osaka’s road in Australia stood up in the third round. In the same year’s French and US Open, he was eliminated in the first round. In September 2022, she was eliminated in the second round at the WTA 500 in Tokyo. After that, Osaka was not seen in tennis tournaments for 15 months.
Before returning to Australia, Osaka participated in the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane in early January, where she was eliminated in the second round.
The Japanese, who is considered one of the toughest names in women’s tennis, has fallen to number 831 in the world rankings during her break. Garcia, her opponent in the opening round, is ranked 19.
Where can Osaka reach after a long break? According to Osaka, who is dreaming of a third Australian Open victory, participating would be a disservice to herself and the supporters if she didn’t believe she could challenge the world’s best players.
– I can’t say how successful I will be, but I’m feeling good and I’m competitive.
I share the coach Wim Fissette according to him, his protégé is always a winning candidate.
– I can’t predict the results, but he will be a better tennis player than ever before. That’s for sure, Fissette said.