Tennis player Naomi Osaka has opened up about some of the challenges she has faced in her return to sport after pregnancy, releasing a statement on Instagram yesterday.
The 26-year-old had her first child, Shai, last July, before coming back to tennis after a 15 month break in January of this year.
Following her most recent loss to American Ashlyn Krueger at the Cincinnati Open this week, the four-time Grand Slam champion took to social media to shed light on how she is feeling.
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“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” Osaka says, referencing her defeat at that tournament, which would have served as ample preparation for the upcoming US Open.
“It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn't miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to. I try and tell myself ‘it’s fine, you’re doing great, just get through this one and keep pushing,’ mentally it’s really draining though,” she adds.
While Osaka does acknowledge that she knows this feeling is probably just a “small phase from all the new transitions” in tennis, from clay courts to grass and hard, she also pinpoints what might be another reason behind this feeling.
“The only feeling I could liken how I feel right now is to being postpartum,” she says.
That reality is one that “scares” her, seeing as she’s been playing the sport for over 20 years.
“I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, the tennis racket should feel like an extension of my hand,” she says, continuing that she doesn't understand “why everything has to feel almost brand new again.”
The tennis star then went on to detail that she did not give herself “grace for that fact until just now”, and that no matter the outcome of each particular match, she continues to love the process of training and competing.
“I know life isn’t guaranteed so I want to do the best that i can with the time that I have, I want to teach my daughter that she can achieve so many things with hard work and perseverance,” she says.
“I want her to aim for the stars and never think her dreams are too big,” she adds.
Osaka then concludes her statement with a look to the future.
“Nothing in life is promised, but i realised that I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and give it my best shot till the very end,” she says.
“See you in New York,” the statement finishes.
Osaka recieved an outpouring of support from the tennis community and beyond in response to her post.
“You are a great champion and will always be, Naomi,” French tennis player and fourth in the world ranked Caroline Garcia says.
“It’s so hard. It takes women over 2 years usually to feel back in their body again and sometimes you never do. Your body has given birth. It’s forever changed. It will be different from now on. And it’s so hard that this is what women go through when your body is literally your career. You will get there. And when you do, you will feel so proud,” author Caroline J. Sumlin adds.
“You ain’t been NOBODY until you been yourself!! Keep on stepping baby girl!! We appreciate your candour and commitment,”actor Malik Yoba says, while Youtuber Berleezy simply left a “🐐[goat]” emoji.
With the US Open approaching on the 26th of August in New York, Osaka, who has won the tournament which is the final grand slam opportunity of the year on two occasions (2018 and 2020), will now have to rely on a wild-card spot to ensure her qualification for the tournament, given she is currently ranked as the 90th player in the world.
