Japanee tennis player Naomi Osaka has vowed never to cry again at a press conference, referring to the 2021 case when she ended her meeting with the media because she was upset by a question addressed to her.
Naomi Osaka returned to the court with a difficult victory by 2-1 (6:4, 3:6, 6:3) over the French player Alize Cornet at the start of the tournament in Melbourne before the Australian Open. However, she succeeded to qualify for the third round after an easy win versus Belgian player Maryna Zanevska by 2-1 (6:1, 6:1)
The four-time Grand Slam champion commented on her 2022 goals.
“Actually, I only have one big goal this year, and it’s not about the results or anything like that”, said Naomi Osaka. “I just want to have fun every time I step on the court and make sure that even if I lose, I give my best. I also aim for the press conferences to never cry again, so I hope things will work out in my favor”, “added the 24-year-old Japanese tennis player.
“I’m the type of person who cares a little more about results and rankings, but I have to find a way to enjoy tennis again. Because that’s the main reason I play”, said also Naomi Osaka.
She missed the French Open and Wimbledon last year after refusing to fulfill her obligations to the media during Roland Garros. The tennis player revealed problems with her mental health, and during her absence from the court, she fell from second to 13th place in the world.
“Now I’m happy that I love tennis so much. During the break, I didn’t know what my future would be like. I’m sure a lot of people felt that way. I’m glad I got here”, said Naomi Osaka. “What helped me was that I started talking to people again. I don’t have that many friends, so I hadn’t talked to anyone. I started to regain my sense of love for the game”, concluded Naomi Osaka.
In the third round of the tournament in Melbourne, the Japanese will face the German player Andrea Petkovic.
