Naomi Osaka is a week away from returning to the Australian Open courts that saw her lift the trophy two times, but she doesn't expect a third one.
The last Grand Slam Naomi Osaka won was the Australian Open in 2021. Her career since then has been very rocky, with mental health issues as well as a pregnancy. She gave birth last year and recently returned to the sport she loves, declaring newfound motivation after struggling with it in the past.
She explained that becoming a mother shifted her perspectives quite a bit as she wanted to become the best version possible to be a role model for her daughter. Reviving her tennis career is certainly a good way to do that, and that's the plan.
She returned with a 6-3, 7-6(9) win over Tamara Korpatsch in Brisbane but lost the next match against Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7(4), 4-6. It was a pretty decent return and one that should give fans hope that the Australian Open will go well, but Osaka calmed down expectations.
Talking on the AO Show, the Japanese player disclosed that she doesn't expect too much from her comeback, keeping the expectations very low.
"Honestly, I don't really expect anything. I feel like for me, I'm just so grateful that I had all the like opportunities and memories that I have had. And I do feel love from so many different people and I appreciate that so much, but I just want to kind of give it back now."
The shift in perspective is quite clear with Osaka as she's quite determined to just enjoy the journey and play tennis. She has goals of course, but it's not the end all be all for her. Just being back on the court is a win for her. She wants to give back to the people that supported her.
"I feel like towards the end of, when was the last time I played, 2022, I wasn't able to give back as much love and appreciation and dedication as people gave me. So, I think it's kind of my turn now."
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