"I feel like there is a limited amount of years that I could play tennis, so I have to make the best out of it" - Naomi Osaka ahead of the French Open
Naomi Osaka has admitted that she is aware that her time at the top of the game is limited and that she needs to make the most of her opportunities.
The Japanese is unseeded at Roland Garros this year and will face the dangerous Amanda Anisimova in her opener. The two-time Australian Open champion hasn't made it past the third round in her previous appearances in Paris and enters this edition in poor form, having won just one match on clay this season.
Moreover, the injury she sustained in her loss to Sara Sorribes Tormo in Madrid has further dampened her expectations heading to Paris.
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During her pre-tournament press conference, Osaka, who recently launched her own sports management agency, said the injury was just a "niggle" and that she was grateful to have the opportunity to play such a prestigious event.
"I feel like there is like a limited amount of years that I could play tennis, so like I have to make the best out of it. I know that there are a lot of other players that are possibly like injured, like really badly, and they want to play this tournament so much," she said.
"I think for me like a little nagging issue shouldn't be like a big deal. Yeah, it's a Grand Slam, like I watched this tournament on TV when I was younger. It's still like a really big honor for me."
"I was worried that there were people that I offended some way and I would just kind of bump into them" - Naomi Osaka
The 2021 French Open is not a tournament that Osaka remembers fondly. After backing out of her mandatory media commitments at the start of the tournament last year, the Japanese refused to attend a press conference after her first-round win.
Fines and threats of expulsion soon followed, even as Osaka cited mental health issues and withdrew from the event.
BREAKING: Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open.
She was fined for not going to press conferences for mental health reasons: "I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world's media." https://t.co/o094ZrP5w2
Although apprehensive about what to expect on her return to Roland Garros this year, the highest-paid female athlete in the world revealed that for the most part, "everyone has been really positive".
"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. Like when I first came here, I was very worried. I was just kind of worried if there would be people that like - of course I also didn't like how I handled the situation, but I was worried that there were people that I offended some way and I would just kind of bump into them," she said.
"But I think like everyone has been really positive, for the most part. I'm not really so sure."