Osaka in a better place as she returns to the Olympics

PARIS (AP):

Naomi Osaka is back at Roland Garros, a place that marked such a significant moment in her life – a moment of vulnerability, yes, and, in a way, of triumph, even if not in a traditional, “What was the score?” sense.

Osaka spent time away from tennis in recent years, first for mental health breaks, then because she became a mother. At the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, she was supposed to be one of the big stars in her native Japan and lit the cauldron, but the results on the court were not what she wanted.

Now she has returned to the tour and is returning to the Summer Games. She’ll be in action against three-time major champion Angelique Kerber when tennis matches begin today at the same site that marked such a pivotal place in Osaka’s career: It was at the 2021 French Open, contested on the clay courts used for these Olympics that she first mentioned her anxiety and depression – topics rarely addressed publicly at the time by sports stars or, frankly, anyone in any walk of life – and withdrew from the tournament.

“I felt nervous, kind of scared” at the 2022 French Open, Osaka said. “And a little sad, because I always feel, like, in moments like this, I’m not sure if people are judging me for that moment.”

But then, she explained, “I kind of realised that people’s memories are very short. And I hope that when they look at me, that’s not the first thing they think about. So it’s probably my mind constantly going over those memories and thinking the worst. I’m kind of approaching it with my best foot forward. And I feel like a different person, so hopefully those experiences will never be relived.”

Still just 26, Osaka has accomplished so much.

She reached No. 1 in the tennis rankings. She won four Grand Slam titles. She became the world’s highest-paid female athlete.

Osaka founded, with her agent, Stuart Duguid, an athlete management agency and a production company. She drew attention to racial injustice and police brutality by wearing masks with victims’ names on them during the 2020 US Open. She helped make mental health a subject of discourse and something sports leagues paid more attention to. She’s now a mom.

“She has a much, much, much, much different perspective about life, which has made her more relaxed with her tennis. You can see it with the way she’s playing. She’s playing quite freely and with a smile on her face, sometimes,” Duguid said.

“She’s changed a lot as a person, I would say – definitely for the better. And in comparison to Tokyo, it’s a double-edged sword, because on one hand, it was probably the best experience of her professional life, lighting that torch,” he added. “However, the pressure that she was under in that particular tournament was probably the most pressure she’s played under. And I don’t think she enjoyed it from that perspective.”

Still – or, perhaps, that is why – Osaka is eager to compete again for Japan, where she was born (her mother is Japanese; her father is Haitian; the family moved to the United States when Naomi was three).

“The Olympics are kind of the highlight of sports, in a way,” she said. “It always felt like a celebration of all athletes and of all sports. Everyone just seems to have a lot of fun.”