"I have several more Slams in me, I want my daughter to see me win" - New mom Naomi Osaka confident of winning a Slam in 2024
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka recently shared her thoughts on being a mother and getting back into the swing of things after making her comeback this year. The former World No. 1 returned to professional tennis in 2024 following her pregnancy due to which she missed the entire 2023 season.
Osaka, who is one of the four players alongside Roger Federer, Monica Seles, and the current World No. 1 Iga Swiatek to win their first four Grand Slam finals, fancies her chances at the 'Majors' and stated that she might be able to win one in 2024.
Osaka was quoted as saying by Tennis Majors:
"I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but I do think I can win a Slam this year. I know that I have several more Slams in me and I want my daughter to see me play and win. That’s really important to me."
Osaka, who won the US Open in 2018 and 2020 and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, said she would be playing a lot more this season to gain match experience.
"It’s a long season and I’ve beefed up my schedule with more tournaments to give myself more match play. I think that I’ll be in a great place come summer hard court swing," she added.
Playing her first professional match since September 2022, Osaka defeated Tamara Korpatsch in the first round of the 2024 Brisbane International in straight sets, which included a 20-point first set tie-break. However, she lost in the second round to former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in a tight three-set match.
"I definitely feel different. I love coming off the court and FaceTiming with Shai" - Naomi Osaka on being a mom and managing tennis
Naomi Osaka, who made her comeback as a wildcard at the 2024 Brisbane International, reflected on how motherhood has changed her as a person in a recent interview.
Osaka was quoted as saying by Tennis Majors:
"I definitely feel different. I love coming off the court and FaceTiming with Shai. Regardless of what happened on court, seeing her face always makes me smile."
Osaka further added:
"Giving birth was the most painful experience of my life and it showed me that I can handle so much more physically than I ever thought."
The Japanese star also explained how she is managing her hectic schedule as a mom and a professional tennis player. Osaka said that she has made her daughter's schedule consistent to ensure that Shai does not feel her absence during her workouts, training, and matches.
"I try to keep her routine as consistent as possible so that she doesn’t notice my absence too much when I’m on the road or training," she said.
Osaka announced her pregnancy with American rapper Cordae just before the 2023 Australian Open and withdrew from the tournament. In her withdrawal message, she assured fans that she will be back for the Australian Open in 2024. Osaka gave birth to her daughter in July last year.