"Did you call me a mother-manager?" - Naomi Osaka issues "tennis player first" response to question on motherhood impacting her performances
Naomi Osaka expressed her thoughts on whether motherhood and the responsibilities that come with it have an impact on her performance on the tennis court. The Japanese's admission came after her unfortunate loss to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the second round of the ongoing French Open on Wednesday, May 29.
Osaka returned to tennis at the beginning of this season after calling time on her maternity leave. Since her comeback, for the most part, she has looked rusty. However, none of that rustiness was on display against Swiatek. The Japanese repeatedly stunned the Pole with her blistering array of powerful yet accurate shots.
Ultimately though, despite establishing a 5-2 lead in the third set, Osaka lost the match 6(1)-7, 6-1, 5-7. After the conclusion of the two-hour 57-minute thriller, the former World No. 1 attended a press conference. Towards the end of the presser, a journalist referred to the four-time Grand Slam winner as a "mother and manager", asking if those roles affect her game.
Osaka began her answer on a humorous note, seemingly baffled at the journalist's description of her. She went on to say that most of the time, she does not know how to best answer such questions.
"Did you call me a mother-manager? (smiles) Well, yeah, that is true I guess. To be honest, everyone asks me questions like this and I'm not really ever sure how to answer because I feel like it's something I don't think about. Maybe it's subconscious or something," Osaka said (11:40).
The 26-year-old also said that despite understanding the roles and responsibilities that come with being a mother, she still feels like a "tennis player first" on the court. However, Osaka admitted to always looking forward to meeting her daughter after the conclusion of her matches.
"I'm aware that as a mom, you have to be more patient, you have to put your baby first and all those things, but in a way, I feel like when I'm on the tennis court, I'm a tennis player first. So, it's really tough, but I think when I play, I do find joy in knowing like, right now Shai is back at home, so it's giving me something like to look forward to a lot," Osaka added.
Naomi Osaka had expressed her "surreal" feeling over daughter's growth before starting her 2024 French Open campaign
At a pre-tournament press conference ahead of the French Open, Osaka revealed that her daughter Shai had started walking. The Japanese said that it was a "surreal" feeling to know that Shai is growing up fast and doing several things "differently" than she used to.
"Yesterday she walked for the first time, so I was really happy about that and we're going to practice some more when I get back but yeah, it's really cool to have her here and just to see how much she's grown and how many things she's doing differently. It's kind of surreal," Osaka had said.
On the tennis front, Osaka's focus would now slowly shift to the grasscourt season, intending to be at her best by the Wimbledon Championships begin in July.