Dylan Bettencourt
Naomi Osaka is ready to make her return to the court after taking a mental health break.
The four-time Grand Slam winner said she feels the itch to play again following a disappointing season that saw her withdraw from the French Open and get knocked out of the US Open, her home Grand Slam.
Following her exit from the US Open, she said she was taking a break from the game to concentrate on her mental health.
Osaka has always been open and honest about her mental health struggles and has perhaps spearheaded the movement to give athletes more sympathy in their battles, especially during the ongoing pandemic.
The 23-year-old pulled out of October’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells to give herself time to recover her mental health. Osaka confirmed on HBO’s ‘The Shop’ that she was still passionate about tennis and was ready to get back on the court.
“I know I’m going to play again, probably soon. I kind of have that itch again, but it wouldn’t really matter if I won or lost. I’d have the joy of being back on court,” she said.
Osaka, who took the world by storm early in her career, slipped to seventh in the world rankings, her lowest ranking since 2017.
The two-time US Open winner said the difficult fixtures began taking a toll on her, stating the encounters became less enjoyable the longer they went on.
“I used to love the competition and just being competitive. If I were to play a long match, the longer it was the more fun it was for me,” she said.
Her next Grand Slam could be the Australian Open set for January 2022.
Image source: @SkySports
