Naomi Osaka returns to elite tennis from a maternity break and wins her first match in Brisbane
BRISBANE, Australia — Motherhood has helped give Naomi Osaka a brand new mindset when issues are getting powerful on court docket.
In her first aggressive match since September 2022, the four-time main winner was damaged whereas serving for the match and wanted three match factors within the tiebreaker earlier than changing a 6-3, 7-6 (9) victory over Tamara Korpatsch on Monday on the Brisbane International.
Osaka didn’t play the Australian Open final 12 months and later revealed she was pregnant. She and her companion, rapper Cordae, grew to become mother and father to daughter Shai in Los Angeles in July.
“It’s a big change overnight,” former No. 1-ranked Osaka stated of returning to the tour as a mother. “For me, I adore it quite a bit as a result of … in a method I might say (Shai) has helped me develop up a lot so shortly.
“Off the court I’m more aware of people and I appreciate them a lot more – even my opponents and everything,” she stated. “On the court it’s just helping me be strong and staying in the moment more.”
Every time she missed a chance to win the match on Monday, she composed herself and centered on giving herself one other hance.
“I was super nervous the whole time,” Osaka stated. “Part of me felt like Shai was watching me. I wished to do my finest for her.
“While I’m playing, I’m aware of it in the sense that I want to be a good role model for my daughter. Other than that I think I’m pretty much trying to be the same old me.”
Before Monday, the primary day of 2024, Osaka had solely performed one aggressive match since her first-round exit on the 2022 U.S. Open.
But she has spent many months making ready for her return, together with a renewed deal with dwelling within the second.
“The last couple years that I played before I had my daughter, I didn’t return as much love as I was given,” she advised the group at Pat Rafter Arena. “So I really feel like that’s what I want to do in this chapter.”
And, in fact, she’s paying extra consideration to the youthful folks within the crowd.
“I guess like towards the end when I was signing autographs, I was more aware of kids,” she advised a post-match information convention. “I see them differently now because now I’m a mom, too, and I can picture Shai being that age.”
Osaka will play a fellow former No. 1, three-time Brisbane International champion Karolina Pliskova, within the second spherical.
Persistent rain meant matches on outdoors courts had been suspended, confining matches to the coated important stadium.
In the lads’s draw, high seed Holger Rune rallied to beat Australian Max Purcell 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and No. 2-seeded Grigor Dimitrov overcame Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a 2 1/2-hour evening match between two former Brisbane International champions.
Third-seeded Ben Shelton, the 21-year-old American who reached the U.S. Open semifinals final 12 months, misplaced 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to Roman Safiullin.
The 26-year-old Safiullin is ranked thirty ninth however had wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev final 12 months.
The Brisbane International is without doubt one of the key tune-up occasions for the Australian Open which begins Jan. 14 in Melbourne.
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