Naomi Osaka last stood on a tennis court in the Middle East, and she has played some of the best tennis since her return.
Osaka's comeback has generally been a bit underwhelming because she wasn't able to start as quickly as she had hoped before her comeback. There were some notable struggles involved, but she looked quite good at the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha.
The hope is that she will look even better at another WTA 1000 tournament, this time in Indian Wells, and there are some indicators that are pointing toward that. Ahead of the event, Osaka will have to balance being a tennis player and a mother.
This event is fairly close to where she lives, so she'll have her daughter with her, and it's going to be an interesting experience for her to manage that.
"It’s definitely different. In a way, I feel when I come back to where [my daughter Shai] is, I’m immediately a mom. So in some ways, it’s really fun, of course."
Osaka didn't bring her daughter to Australia because she felt the trip would be too much for the baby. She also didn't bring her to the Middle East but will have her in Indian Wells, so it will be interesting for her to switch roles that quickly, from mom to tennis player and the other way around.
"I think when I’m away from her, I’m always an athlete, but when she’s here, I’m an athlete and a mom at the same time. So there’s a constant surge of energy that I have to have. And I hope it ends up doing well for me here."
It's her new reality and one she's embraced warmly so far. She has high hopes for this event, and in the opening round, she'll start against Sara Errani, who is a tricky opponent.
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