Naomi Osaka has opened up about her struggle to get back to previous levels in tennis since her maternity break.
The Japanese former world number one and four-time grand slam winner returned to the WTA Tour in January, following the birth of her first child, a daughter.
Results have not gone her way though – Osaka has not been able to get past the quarter-finals at any event she has entered and on Monday she was beaten in the second round of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open in Ohio, USA.
“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” 26 year-old Osaka posted on social media on Tuesday.
“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.”
“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,” she said.
“That scares me because I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, the racket should feel like an extension of my hand.”
Osaka is still set to play at the US Open which begins on 26th August.
It’s a tournament she has won twice, in 2018 and 2020.
Source: Africanews
