Japan’s former world number 1 in women’s singles, Naomi Osaka, will return to tennis to prove to her daughter that she can achieve anything.
In the statement made by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 tournament International Brisbane, it was stated that Osaka, who has 4 grand slam titles in her career, will participate in the tournament that will start on December 31.
The 26-year-old tennis player visited the “Lone Pine” koala sanctuary in Australia, where the tournament will be held, and explained his reasons for returning to tennis.
Emphasizing that the girl named “Shai”, who was born in July, was very influential in her decision to return, Osaka said, “Being a mother has changed my life a lot. There are differences in my perspective on many issues. Giving birth has been the most challenging thing that has ever happened to me in the world. It makes me physically much stronger than before.” “I want to show Shai that he is capable of achieving anything. That’s the main reason why I returned to tennis.” she said.
Osaka, who abandoned the French Open tennis tournament in 2021 due to depression, rarely appeared on the courts in the following period. The Japanese tennis player, who could not regain his old form in the tournaments he participated in, last played in September 2022.