Many doubted Naomi Osaka when she announced her tennis return because she didn't seem to be committed to the sport before the hiatus.
When Osaka announced her pregnancy hiatus, many welcomed it as it seemed like something she needed - time away from the sport. She had been struggling with her tennis for a while, even admitting that she lost motivation.
It's part of why some doubted Osaka's seriousness about her comeback. The season's first four months provided a pretty solid answer because the former world no. 1 seems very motivated. She's played some solid tennis, and former player and doubles world no. 1, Todd Woodbridge, is very encouraged by what he saw.
"I think that this is actually one of the most important decisions that she's made in her career, because it means that she effectively is willing to work and do anything to get herself back to the top of the game."
"This is an indicator for me that Naomi is deadly serious about winning more majors, because this is a commitment. She has committed to legitimately doing it (her comeback) properly."
It's not easy to return to tennis after a long hiatus because tennis is a sport that keeps evolving. For most players, it might be like riding a bike, but that doesn't mean you can jump back into it. Everyone improves constantly, so missing time is a huge detriment.
"It's a distinct decision to win matches. It's too hard to walk out after a long time away from the game and just explode on the tour and win major tournaments. You need to get match play. You need to feel that you've done the work, that you deserve it."
"I think it's good that she's doing this on clay. Because you've got to hit more balls, you've got to be a little bit more patient. I think it's good for her level of fitness and match-fitness."
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