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Women's tennis star Naomi Osaka lost in the qualifying round of the Cincinnati Open Monday, but she said that wasn't her biggest issue.
The 26-year-old star opened up about physical issues she has been dealing with in an Instagram post on Tuesday, saying it feels similar to being postpartum.
"My biggest issue currently isn’t losses though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body," Osaka wrote. "The only feeling I could liken myself now to being postpartum. That scares me because I've been playing tennis since I was three, the tennis racquet should feel like an extension of my hand. I don't understand why everything has to feel almost brand new again."
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Naomi Osaka of Japan walks off the court after losing to Elise Mertens of Belgium at the National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium Aug. 8, 2024, in Toronto. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
Osaka gave birth to her first child over a year ago on July 12. Her daughter, Shai, was born to her and her boyfriend, rapper Cordae. She didn't return to tennis again until January, when she lost in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open to Caroline Garcia. Since then, she's lost in the second round at the French Open and Wimbledon, then lost in the first round of women's singles at the Paris Olympics to Germany's Angelique Kerber.
"It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, 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 though. Internally, I hear myself screaming 'what the hell is happening?!?!'" she wrote on Instagram.
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Prior to her pregnancy, Osaka had won four Grand Slam titles – U.S. Open titles in 2018 and 2020 and Australian Open titles in 2019 and 2021. Osaka reached the No. 1 world ranking once in January 2019. Osaka withdrew from the 2021 French Open, citing "mental health issues" after getting fined $15,000 and receiving threats for not attending a press conference.
Naomi Osaka of Japan plays in a first-round singles match against Daria Saville of Australia at the Toray Pan Pacific Open at Ariake Coliseum Sept. 20, 2022, in Tokyo. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)
In between that withdrawal and her pregnancy, Osaka competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the 2021 U.S. Open, the 2022 Australian Open, the 2022 Miami Open, the 2022 French Open, the 2022 U.S. Open and the 2022 Pan Pacific Open and was eliminated in the early rounds of each tournament.
In the 13 months since having her first child, she has continued to struggle to regain her early-career form that led to multiple Grand Slam titles.
"During this time, I’ve wondered what do I want out of this whole experience and I realized something, I love the process (though the process doesn’t love me sometimes haha), putting in work everyday and eventually having the opportunity to get to where you want to be," Osaka wrote.
"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. I want her to aim for the stars and never think her dreams are too big."
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Naomi Osaka rests during a match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during the National Bank Open in Toronto Aug. 9, 2022. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Osaka plans to compete at the 2024 U.S. Open in Queens, New York, later this month.
"Nothing in life is promised but I realized that I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and give it my best shot till the very end," she wrote. "See you in New York."
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