Naomi Osaka admits she nonetheless feels out of types on the courtroom eight months into her comeback season after maternity depart, scuffling with a puzzling lack of energy and precision.
The four-time Grand Slam champion confronted one other setback in her inconsistent return, dropping to Ashlyn Krueger within the second spherical of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open.
This newest defeat comes as she prepares for the U.S. Open, the ultimate Grand Slam of the 12 months, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8.
“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses; my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” Osaka wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
“It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss and hitting balls softer than I remember I used to. I try to tell myself, ‘It’s fine, you’re doing great. Just get through this one and keep pushing.’ Mentally, it’s really draining.”
“Internally, I hear myself screaming, ‘What the hell is happening?!'”
Osaka returned to motion in January after a 15-month break throughout which she gave delivery to her daughter. Now ranked ninetieth on the earth, her greatest outcomes have been runs to the quarterfinals at Doha and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
“I’ve played a handful of matches this year where I felt like myself, and I know this moment is probably just a small phase from all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard). However, the only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being postpartum,” Osaka mentioned.
“That scares me because I’ve been playing tennis since I was three; the racket should feel like an extension of my hand.”
Osaka’s subsequent occasion might be at Flushing Meadows, the place she triumphed in 2018 and 2020, however she mentioned she doesn’t perceive why all the pieces about her recreation feels “almost brand new” once more.
“This should be as simple as breathing to me, but it’s not,” she added. “I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now.”
Despite her struggles, Osaka mentioned she loves placing within the work every day and “eventually having the opportunity to get to where you want to be.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com