Naomi Osaka, first Australian Open as mom: “I’ve changed”

A return after a long absence, for a profoundly changed woman.

Naomi Osaka is returning to the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam tournament in more than a year after the previous one. Meanwhile, the Japanese champion former number one on the WTA circuit è in fact first became pregnant and then became mother to baby Shai. Having skipped the entire 2023 season, she therefore wanted to tell her feelings to the journalists present in Melbourne.

"I have won twice here, and going back to the same locker room using the same locker gives me so much nostalgia,” Osaka revealed.

But now I feel so happy, and I would love to come back and win here at the Australian Open. Brisbane was a very good test for me and playing against Karolina Pliskova è was really fun. And I don't care about her position in the WTA ranking, the important thing is that my performance was of a higher level than it seems".

Naomi Osaka è then dwelt on the feelings she had returning to the court with her daughter who had stayed home. "Leaving her è was difficult, also becauseé while I am away she will learn things. I hope she doesn’t start crawling while I’m gone. I am sad knowing that she è not with me, but I realize that è selfish of me to think that. She è little one, better stay home. Since è she has come into my life, però struggling to get back into shape è it has been especially difficult. But my mentality è compared to before è changed, and I am really happy to be here in Melbourne", concluded the Japanese champion.