Former world number one Naomi Osaka has opened up about the challenges she’s facing after returning to tennis following a maternity break. Osaka, who gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, returned to the WTA Tour in January but has struggled to find her previous form.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has yet to advance beyond the quarter-finals in any tournament since her return. In a candid Instagram post on Tuesday, the 26-year-old athlete shared that her biggest struggle isn’t the losses but a disconnect with her own body.
“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses, though,” Osaka wrote. “My biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body. 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.”
Osaka’s latest setback came on Monday when she was defeated by American Ashlyn Kreuger in the second round of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open.
Reflecting on her recent performances, Osaka mentioned that while she has had a few matches this year where she felt like herself, the constant transitions between different surfaces—clay, grass, and hard courts—have been challenging. She compared her current state to the experience of being postpartum, which she described as unsettling.
“I’ve been playing tennis since I was three,” she said. “The racket should feel like an extension of my hand. That scares me.”
Despite not reaching the third round of any Grand Slam this year, Osaka has shown flashes of her potential, notably pushing current world number one Iga Swiatek to the limit in a thrilling second-round match at the French Open in May.
However, Osaka admitted that she’s puzzled by how unfamiliar everything feels. “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.”
Osaka is expected to compete later this month at the US Open, where she is a two-time champion.
