via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Naomi Osaka of Japan walks out on to court prior to her during her Women’s Singles first round match against Anna Blinkova of Russia on day two of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Naomi Osaka of Japan walks out on to court prior to her during her Women’s Singles first round match against Anna Blinkova of Russia on day two of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Naomi Osaka is easily one of the most recognised athletes in the world now. While she played a limited schedule in 2021 in order to focus on her mental health, she is now back to competing in tournaments, hoping to get back into rhythm. Currently ranked 82nd in the world, Osaka won her first-round match against Sloane Stephens at Indian Wells on Friday.
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After the match, she opened up about how intense the match was and also about what kind of headspace she is in after making a comeback to the WTA tour this year.
Naomi Osaka is focused on giving her absolute best
Osaka spoke about her form and how she’s been holding up. While she did play at the Australian Open, she could not manage to defend her title and lost in the third round. Even though her campaign in Australia was short, she said that the experience had been positive for her as she was “happy with how it went.”
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After her first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open, she had a similar outlook, expressing the hope of recovering her form with more matches she played. “Honestly, at the end of the match I didn’t know what the score was, I had to ask my coach (Wim Fisette). I was completely focused on giving my best on every point,” she said.
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 10, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN) hits a shot in her first round match against Sloane Stephens (not pictured) on day 4 at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Naomi Osaka also looked back on the Australian Tour and elaborated on how she hopes to improve by the end of the US tour. “I feel like I played well on the Australian tour, but I’m still taking those long breaks between tournaments, I’m aware that I’m taking them. Hopefully, I’ll slowly find the flow of things with this hard-court US tour,” she added.
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Moreover, she acknowledged how difficult her first-round match at the Indian Wells was. She noted that playing difficult matches like that, under stressful conditions was good for her, and would help her get back on track.
