Naomi Osaka exclusive: “I think I can win a slam this year”

The return of Naomi Osaka to the tennis tour is one of the biggest talking points heading into the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday.

After a 16-month break from competitive play, during which time she gave birth to her first child, the Japanese is back, fully motivated and driven to succeed.

Speaking before the draw for the Australian Open, a tournament she has won twice and where she has a tough opening match against Caroline Garcia, the 26-year-old discussed her return to the Tour, the impact of motherhood, her plans and hopes for the future and how she believes she can achieve big things, and soon.

Here is a Q&A of the interview, which was conducted via email.

First of all, congratulations on becoming a mum and also on already making a good comeback to the Tour. I know it's very early stages, but I wondered if you felt any different, both physically and mentally, compared with before you became a mother?

Naomi Osaka: I definitely feel different. I love coming off the court and FaceTiming with Shai. Regardless of what happened on court, seeing her face always makes me smile. 

What is the main thing driving you on as you return to the Tour? Is it unfinished business, more grand slams, showing your daughter what you can do, or something else?

Naomi Osaka: Honestly, a bit of all of those. Giving birth was the most painful experience of my life and it showed me that I can handle so much more physically than I ever thought. I know that I have several more slams in me and I want my daughter to see me play and win. That’s really important to me. 

Tennis players (and all top sportsmen and women) have to be quite selfish at times. How do you balance your work and family life while you're on Tour?

Naomi Osaka: It’s been an adjustment changing my main priority from myself to my daughter, but I think that she has helped me grow so much. I try to keep her routine as consistent as possible so that she doesn’t notice my absence too much when I’m on the road or training. 

I know I’ve got seVeral more slams in me

Naomi Osaka

Sometimes when players take a long break, they feel that the sport has moved on. Do you feel that yourself?

Naomi Osaka: No, I don’t feel that way. I have such a great team around me, and we are putting in the work every day to make sure that I’m ready to compete at the highest level. 

You're working together with Wim Fissette again – how important was it for you that he came back, as you plotted your comeback, and what specifically does he bring you (other than simply being a very successful, top coach?

Naomi Osaka: Wim is the best coach I’ve ever worked with. We know each other so well and there is a strong level of trust between us. We fell back into our rhythm pretty quickly. We’ve had some great memories together and looking forward to making many more. 

Finally, how hard is it to be patient? Do you think you can win a slam this year, or will it take time? And do you have an idea of how long you would like to play?

Naomi Osaka: I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but I do think I can win a slam this year. It’s a long season and I’ve beefed up my schedule with more tournaments to give myself more match play. I think that I’ll be in a great place come summer hard court swing.

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