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Naomi Osaka:

  • On Mental Health: “I feel like everything I do, I’m doing it to do the best that I can, and that’s why I think some people might think I’m pressured or stressed. But it’s more like I’m trying to do the best that I can.”
  • On Confidence: “You just gotta keep going and fighting for everything, and one day you’ll get to where you want.”
  • On Being Herself: “Everyone has their own path, their own journey. We just have to find our own way and stick to it.”

Naomi Osaka, the once-unstoppable force in women’s tennis, finds herself in an uncanny struggle—an alienation from her own body that’s left her game in disarray. After a disheartening early exit from the Cincinnati Open, Osaka opened up about feeling like a stranger in the very vessel that once carried her to glory.

In a raw Instagram post, the four-time Grand Slam champion laid bare the unsettling experience: “My biggest issue isn’t the losses—it’s this disconnection, this weird sensation that I’m not even in my own body.” Shots she once nailed with ease now elude her, and her powerful strokes seem to have lost their bite, leaving her bewildered and disoriented on the court.

Osaka, who welcomed her first child with rapper Cordae in July 2023, had hoped to reclaim her place among the tennis elite upon her return in January 2024. But the road back has been anything but smooth. Her comeback has been peppered with setbacks—first-round elimination at the Australian Open, early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon, and now a final-round qualifying loss to American Ashlyn Krueger at the Cincinnati Open. The rankings tell a stark story: once the world’s number one, Osaka now finds herself at 90th, staring down the daunting challenge of the U.S. Open.

The physical struggles have been compounded by an intense mental strain. Osaka has always been candid about her battles with mental health, and this chapter is no different. “I keep telling myself, ‘You’re doing great, just push through,’ but the truth is, it’s mentally draining,” she revealed, painting a picture of an internal tug-of-war that’s left her teetering on the edge. The dissonance is so profound, she likens it to the bewildering experience of being postpartum—what was once an effortless extension of her hand now feels foreign, like picking up a tennis racket for the first time.

Osaka’s vulnerability isn’t new. Back in May 2021, she shook the sports world by withdrawing from the French Open, citing the negative impact of relentless media scrutiny on her mental well-being. That bold move sparked a global conversation about the pressures faced by athletes, forcing even the French Open organizers to rethink their approach to media engagements by the following year.

As she steels herself for the final Grand Slam of the year, Osaka’s resolve remains unshaken. Despite the frustrations and the alienation, she’s determined to push forward. “Nothing in life is promised,” she mused in her Instagram post, “but I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and give it my best shot till the very end.” The journey ahead may be fraught with uncertainty, but Osaka is ready to meet it head-on, driven by the hope of rekindling the connection to the game that once defined her.

Major Points

  • Naomi Osaka, reflecting on her early exit from the Cincinnati Open, revealed she feels out of sync with her body since returning from maternity leave, a sentiment she expressed on Instagram.
  • Despite being a four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka’s return to tennis has been marred by unexpected challenges, including early exits from major tournaments and a steep drop in her rankings.
  • The 26-year-old athlete described the unsettling experience of missing routine shots and losing touch with her once instinctive game, likening it to the disorientation of postpartum adjustments.
  • Osaka has been open about the mental strain these challenges have imposed, candidly sharing the internal battle she faces to stay positive and push through.
  • As she prepares for the U.S. Open, Osaka remains determined, promising to give her all and embrace the journey, despite the uncertainties she faces on and off the court.

Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News