Naomi Osaka has been away from tennis for a while due to pregnancy, and she admitted to struggling being away from the courts.
The Japanese player was once tipped to dominate the sport for many years, but some things happened that kind of derailed that. She struggled with anxiety, took a break from tennis, and finally announced an unexpected pregnancy.
Throughout the pregnancy, the former World No. 1 on the WTA Tour confirmed her excitement about being a mother multiple times. Osaka talked about leaving a legacy after she's done with tennis many times, and being able to play in front of her own kid is something she will take great pride in.
Still, Osaka herself is a competitor and her happy place is on the court. She didn't spend a lot of time on the courts lately and it's been hard for her. Seeing everybody else out there competing and her not being able to left her a bit upset.
I remember following the Australian Open a little bit earlier this year, and it made me upset because I’ve never missed an Australian Open. It was kind of hard to cope with those feelings of wanting to be there really badly. I wouldn’t trade this for the world, but it was just hard to watch everyone competing over there [while I was] sitting out.
Osaka has given birth in the meantime and she'll certainly be back in Melbourne next year. That was her initial plan anyways, to return at the 2024 Australian Open. Reports suggest that she's already started preparations for that so we'll see if it truly happens.
Even before becoming pregnant, Osaka displayed very little desire to compete, even though she talked about wanting to do so. Ultimately time will tell, but for now, she will enjoy some time with her newborn.
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