Melbourne: As she gets ready to return to Grand Slam tennis after becoming a mother, two-time former champion Naomi Osaka said on Friday that she can “feel the nostalgia” at the Australian Open.The former world number one stepped away from tennis in September 2022, claiming mental health difficulties. Osaka opted to return for the 2024 season after rediscovering her love for the game after giving birth to a baby girl, Shai, in July.”I’ve been able to hit with a couple players and kind of, I guess, feel the nostalgia again,” she stated. But I’m ecstatic to be back. Thus far, it’s been a lot of fun. The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan said she enjoyed returning to Melbourne Park, the site of her victory.”I find that small things like that truly bring me joy. I suppose looking up at the sky after being able to hit on Rod Laver (Arena) made me realize that I had won twice here. I would like returning to it.” Although other things remain the same, I believe that this Slam is the one that changes the most.
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I believe those things bring me the greatest sense of nostalgia.” As she returned to the court for the Australian swing, Osaka admitted it had been difficult to be separated from Shai, who had not traveled with her.Karolina Pliskova defeated the 26-year-old in the Brisbane International’s second round last week. Regarding her daughter, “she’s learning things while I’m gone,” the mother stated. “I’m hoping she doesn’t learn how to crawl before I come back. “She’s scooting forward and back while performing her tiny plank motion. It may be rather inevitable, in my opinion.”It’s true that I’m depressed, but I think my sadness is self-serving because I want her here. However, I believe that her entire environment is at home, which is good for her health. She’s still so little, I don’t want to take her out of that.”Osaka claimed that her time away from tennis had let her appreciate how unique being.
