Return game: Naomi Osaka giving herself grace after maternity leave

Naomi Osaka isn’t quite where she wants to be nearly nine months into her return from maternity leave.

The four-time major champion recently opened up about her struggles and how she still doesn’t feel like herself on the court:

Osaka enters the US Open 18-15 on the season and ranked 85th in the world. She’s advanced no further than the quarterfinals at a single tournament. Not even a return to her preferred hard courts this summer has stopped the up-and-down roller coaster that’s been her comeback.

Osaka looked sharp in her opening match against Ons Jabeur at the National Bank Open in Toronto in early August, defeating the three-time Grand Slam finalist 6-3, 6-1 for her fifth top-20 win of the year. The momentum was short-lived, though, as Osaka committed a slew of unforced errors in a straight-sets loss in the second round.

Osaka remains upbeat despite the setbacks. The 26-year-old is embracing every part of her return journey, even if it means playing in qualifiers, like she did a few weeks ago at the Cincinnati Open.

“Unfortunately, I’ve always suffered from perfectionism and I doubt myself a lot,” Osaka told reporters, including theScore, in Toronto. “But I think going through this process and having really tough losses that I’ve learned a lot about myself.

“I learned that I really love this game and am willing to do whatever it takes to get to where I feel like I deserve to be. I know there’s going to be a lot more tough losses, but hopefully I’ll be back in the top 10.”

Back to basics

Wim Fissette played an instrumental role in some of Osaka’s most notable accomplishments. The Belgian coach, who’s worked with multiple former World No. 1s, joined forces with Osaka in 2020 and guided the Japanese star to a pair of major titles.

Osaka’s year-end No. 3 ranking during their first season together tied a career best, and it was a no-brainer for Osaka to bring Fissette back into the fold once she made her return decision.

“Trust is a really big thing,” Osaka told me. “I take a while to get to know someone and I like the way he coaches. I like the way he lets me think by myself sometimes and then gives his inputs. We have really good chemistry.”

Osaka, left, speaks with Fissette during a recent practice session in Toronto. Chicco Nacion/theScore

While Osaka turned to her past for assistance, she knows that simply recapturing her previous form won’t be enough to reach the summit of the women’s game.

The WTA Tour evolved during Osaka’s 15-month break and continues to adapt. Osaka’s trademark weapons may still be overwhelming for some opponents, but today’s top players are better equipped to counter her raw power and aggressive baseline play.

So, in an effort to raise her ceiling, Osaka thought outside the box. She hired Simone Elliott – a ballet dancer who’s worked with other pro athletes – ahead of the 2024 campaign to refine her footwork.

Osaka credits Elliott for her improved court movement and hopes it’ll in turn allow her to add new shots to her arsenal, including a splitting forehand reminiscent of Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams.

Osaka also spent some time at the Olympics watching Iga Swiatek practice, focusing on how to incorporate some of the top-ranked player’s elite footwork into her own game.

She hopes to scout more of her competition going forward, to pick up more things that could benefit her down the line.

“I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with my body,” Osaka told me. “Honestly, after pregnancy, I wasn’t really sure how my movement would be. I remember being on the track at UCLA and almost crying in frustration because I felt like I couldn’t run as fast as I wanted to.

“It kind of felt like I was in a bodysuit that was just not performing the way I wanted. Now, to be here, I think is a really incredible achievement.”

Daniel Kopatsch / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Taylor Townsend can relate to Osaka’s physical challenges. The American said she lost almost 90 pounds upon her return from maternity leave and had to rebuild her core muscles.

Townsend’s traveling with a physiotherapist this year for the first time in her career. She needed tailored exercises after undergoing a C-section, which weakened her core.

A couple of years into her own comeback, Townsend feels stronger and the results are coming on court. She won a Wimbledon doubles title, reached No. 5 in the doubles rankings, and is playing the best singles tennis of her career.

“There’s so many different things as a new mother that you have to manage externally and internally,” Townsend told me. “For someone like Naomi (who’s) had such success, and coming back with pressure that I didn’t have, I can’t relate to her situation in that way.

“But it was really cool to be able to see that she’s so comfortable in her skin and just where she is in life. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Andy Cheung / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Osaka’s more at peace with her mental health struggles, too. The two-time Olympian found relief seeing Michael Phelps and Simone Biles normalize conversations about mental health and feelings she’s experienced firsthand.

Osaka revealed issues with depression and anxiety when she withdrew from the 2021 French Open, and continues to be one of the WTA’s strongest mental health advocates. Osaka even joined a panel of players and experts to discuss tennis’ impact on her mental health during her brief Toronto trip.

Her presence on tour has meant a lot to her peers, including American Amanda Anisimova, who was burnt out when she stepped away from tennis in May 2023.

“It’s honestly very inspiring and amazing – as well as all the conversations that she starts and opens up,” Anisimova told me. “I think we’re all very happy to have her in the WTA and she’s a huge part of tennis.

“Just being able to be so honest and vulnerable as she is, it’s definitely something very special and I really look up to her on that.”

TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP / Getty

Osaka’s refreshed approach has been important, especially as losses pile up and with no trophy to show for all the work she’s put in this season. Perhaps most importantly, the seven-time WTA titlist no longer defines her self-worth by wins or losses.

Make no mistake: Osaka’s desire to win Grand Slams burns bright as ever. Competing against the best on the brightest stages was a primary reason Osaka returned, and she’s enjoyed starting a fresh chapter. But the future Hall of Famer simply isn’t taking each defeat as hard as she used to. Instead, she’s choosing to look at the positives and how she can grow.

Osaka squandered a match point and a 5-2 lead in the deciding set to Swiatek in the second round of this year’s French Open, yet the showdown “did wonders” for Osaka’s confidence. Even though clay’s never been kind to Osaka, she’s looking forward to next year after pushing arguably the most dominant women’s player on the surface to the brink.

It’s been lesson after lesson. The Olympics didn’t go Osaka’s way, either, with her falling short of the podium for a second straight Games. While she was “devastated” to leave Paris without a medal, Osaka found comfort in her team’s presence, and in experiencing the joy of the Games with her daughter, Shai.

Osaka’s journey has taught her arguably the most valuable lesson of all: Everything’s going to be alright, regardless of what happens at the US Open and beyond.

“When I was younger – I don’t want to make this sound really negative – but in a way, I was searching for my purpose in life,” Osaka said. “The way I grew up, my only purpose was tennis.

“Then, obviously taking the year (off) that I had as a break, it kind of let me see that there’s so many different things in life, and it’s a beautiful world. I would define success as appreciating the little things in life that I never used to before.”

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