Naomi Osaka, the 27-year-old tennis sensation, is charting a path towards her fifth major title, with aspirations of clinching her first since becoming a mother. Increasingly driven by her ambitions, Osaka is determined to achieve a career grand slam by targeting victories at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. She made headlines with her admiration for Venus Williams, who received a wild card entry for the BNP Paribas Open despite not competing since March 2024. As Osaka prepares to face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the MGM Rewards Slam in Las Vegas on March 1, she reflects on her journey and future goals.
Osaka's year began on a promising note when she reached the final of the Auckland WTA tournament in January, just a year after returning from maternity leave. Despite an abdominal injury forcing her retirement from the tournament, her performance underscored her resilience and competitive spirit. Now, as she anticipates returning to the court in Las Vegas, Osaka shared her excitement about the venue and the challenges ahead.
“What I’ve learned about myself is that I’m patiently impatient,” she said, encapsulating her drive and determination to succeed.
Motherhood has brought a new perspective to Osaka's life and career. She shares her daughter Shai with rapper Cordae and credits this new chapter for teaching her invaluable lessons about patience and acceptance.
“Becoming a mom, I’ve learned to become a lot more patient and sort of understand that I can’t control everything, but I can only do my best in certain situations and hope that the outcome is positive, but if not, then there’s always another day,” Osaka remarked.
Her admiration for Venus Williams also highlights her respect for trailblazers in the sport. Osaka expressed how Williams has inspired many, including herself.
“It makes me really excited to go to the tournament and see her, and I feel like she probably doesn’t know how many people she’s inspired because even she inspired me – and through me, there’s probably other kids that are inspired. So it keeps the legacy going,” she stated.
Osaka's ambitions extend beyond mere victories; they encompass a vision of achieving a career grand slam. Winning prestigious tournaments like Wimbledon and Roland Garros is a goal she fervently pursues.
“I have a lot of goals going forward. For as long as I can play, I really want to win Wimbledon and Roland Garros (the French Open) and get a career grand slam,” she declared.
Despite her impressive achievements, Osaka remains grounded, acknowledging that there is always more to accomplish.
“It’s interesting when I hear from an outside perspective because, of course, all of the achievements (I’ve had so far) are great, but I always feel like there’s a lot more to do,” she reflected.
Her upcoming match in Las Vegas marks her first tennis outing in the city, adding to her anticipation of experiencing its unique atmosphere.
“What I’m looking forward to the most is the atmosphere. I’ve been to Las Vegas before, but obviously never to play any tennis. So that should be really exciting,” she shared.
Osaka's journey has not been without its challenges. She has taken extended breaks from tennis to prioritize her mental health, advocating for its importance alongside physical health.
“I feel like it’s really important to speak about mental health, because at least for me, when I’m down, I usually feel like I’m alone and I’m the only person that feels in that specific way,” Osaka explained.
She encourages open conversations about mental well-being to combat feelings of isolation.
“But then you realize that there’s other people that feel the same, and you don’t feel so isolated anymore. So I think it’s important for people to keep talking about it, treat it more like physical health. I think people treat physical health a lot better than mental health,” she added.
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