Madrid Open: Skeptical Naomi Osaka Reveals Strong Olympics Desire Amid Comeback Struggles

Japanese WTA star Naomi Osaka proved lucky on her hard-court ventures again. However, she is still apprehensive about her skills at participating in the Paris Olympics. Osaka, who made her second clay court attempt after 2022, bagged her first-round victory at Madrid this year. Despite showing promising signs of her return, Osaka’s Olympic gold medal dream might have to wait a bit further.

Naomi Osaka didn’t seem too hopeful about the Paris Olympics. In an interview recently with a magazine, she said “The Olympics feel very far away right now, but I would be very excited to play in them and I think it’s really cool that they’re going to be on clay. It’s something I’ve always wanted to achieve, so I hope I can get a medal.” However, Osaka expressed great hope to participate in this honorable sports event. In 2021, this Japanese WTA star said to Olympic Magazine in an interview, “For me, it’s always been a dream of mine, I have allowed myself to dream that dream of winning the gold medal.” 

Given that Osaka won two of her major career titles, the Australian Open and the US Open both on clay courts, she thus dreams of the Olympics. Previously, Osaka revealed a great fact about her favorite Olympic memory. She said, “My most outstanding Olympic memory is just watching [Usain] Bolt run. He’s my favourite athlete; me and my whole family. My dad loves his running, so we would just watch him.” 

Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo in 2020, shared how her childhood was associated with this sports event. She revealed in a press conference, “Growing up watching the Olympics on TV, I felt that it was a celebration of sport. I thought it brought everyone together, and just to be able to be an athlete there and interact with other athletes is one of the funniest things that I’ve ever done.” 

Despite being a bit obsessed with the Olympic gold medal, Osaka doesn’t seem to be in the right form to participate in Paris with the hope of winning. However, her comeback in the Mutua Madrid Open’s first round showed a great possibility for her future.

Naomi Osaka returns victorious to her favorite clay court

The Mutua Madrid Open was Osaka’s second clay-court participation after a long maternity break after giving birth to her daughter Shai. This Japanese WTA pro defeated Greet Minnen by 6-4 and 6-1 to reach the tournament’s second round. Osaka, who was a quarterfinalist in Madrid in 2019, always showed a better response on the hard court over slower surfaces. This WTA star exhibited great confidence against Minnen and maintained a full-flow serve for the match. Her backhands were extremely skillful throughout the match helping her to secure points.

While Osaka might not feel confident about the Pari Olympics, she is definitely prepared for Madrid’s hard court this season. If she persists in such a positive attitude, fans might see her bagging an Olympic gold medal soon too.