Naomi Osaka mentioned Monday she is feeling optimistic and hoping her good vibe continues as she makes a return from an Achilles damage at her first event because the French Open in May.
The former world No. 1 is a wild card entrant on the Silicon Valley Classic this week, having seen her singles rating fall to forty first on the earth. She stays the highest-ranked Japanese in girls’s singles, 59 spots forward of Misaki Doi, however has pale from her as soon as dominant place within the recreation.
Naomi Osaka holds a press convention on Aug. 1, 2022, in San Jose, California, forward of the Silicon Valley Classic tennis event. (Kyodo)
“I’m hoping to see if that (good) feeling stays,” she informed reporters at San Jose State University in San Jose, California, which is internet hosting the event.
After profitable a Grand Slam title in 4 consecutive seasons from 2018, Osaka on a pathway to a long-term reign over girls’s tennis. Then, she was compelled to place her profession on maintain to take a psychological well being break and parted methods with administration firm IMG to launch her personal sports activities company.
Now on the age of 24, Osaka is seeking to re-establish her profession with a unique perspective. She lately launched a media firm with NBA star LeBron James known as Hana Kuma.
Last month, she break up with Wim Fissette, who coached her to her two most up-to-date Grand Slam titles — the 2020 U.S. Open and 2021 Australian Open.
“He’s an amazing coach and we didn’t part on bad terms. I felt like I needed a different energy. He’s an ambitious guy and I’m sure he would have wanted to go to Wimbledon, so it was kind of like two different mindsets,” mentioned Osaka.
Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois, is at present her stand-in coach.
“He doesn’t talk a lot, so I have to figure things out myself. He makes me think outside the box,” she mentioned.
“Whenever I think something is really bad, he makes me realize things are much more positive than they seem. When I’m stressed out, he starts dancing to make me feel better. So, it’s nice to have him around and to remember the times when I was a kid.”
Osaka was simply 16 when she made her debut on the event in San Jose in 2014, then often called the Bank of the West Classic.
Ranked 406th on the earth on the time, she made a splash by downing then top-20 participant Sam Stosur of Australia within the spherical of 32 earlier than going out to German Andrea Petkovic within the ultimate 16.
“I remember being overwhelmed. It was my first time going to a press conference. It was a learning experience,” she mentioned.
Osaka’s first match this week is in opposition to Chinese 19-year-old Zheng Qinwen on Tuesday afternoon. The two have by no means performed one another on tour.
“I’d just like to have fun,” Osaka mentioned.
The Aug. 1-7 Silicon Valley Classic is a WTA 500 hard-court event that includes 28 singles gamers and 16 doubles groups in the principle draw.
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