After a maternity vacation, former world number one Naomi Osaka has returned to tennis but says she doesn’t feel like she’s in her own body.
Osaka of Japan made her WTA Tour comeback in January following the birth of her first child, a daughter named Shai, in July 2023. The four-time Grand Slam champion has since found it difficult to get back to her peak and has never been able to go past the quarterfinals of a competition.
The athlete said: “My biggest issue currently isn’t losses though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body… It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to. I try to tell myself, ‘It’s fine you’re doing great. Just get through this one and keep pushing.’ Mentally it’s really draining through.”
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Dealing with postpartum adjustments
Osaka admitted: “I’ve played a handful of matches this year that I felt like I was myself and I know this moment is probably just a small phase from all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard), however the only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being post-partum… That scares me because I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, the racket should feel like an extension of my hand.”
However, despite all of her adjustments, Osaka has still shown that she can compete with the best players even though she hasn’t advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam this year. In May, she took current world number one Iga Swiatek all the way in a thrilling second-round match at the French Open. She did, however, express concern about why it has to feel like something new all over again.
“This should be as simple as breathing to me, but it’s not… I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now,” she remarked.
Later this month, Osaka will compete at the US Open, where she has won two titles.
Source: BBC