Naomi Osaka: Tennis star says she is ‘in a good place’ ahead of US Open return after disappointing exit in Cincinnati

Naomi Osaka believes she is “in a good place” ahead of her first US Open appearance since 2022.

The two-time Flushing Meadows champion will face 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko in her opening match of the tournament after taking a break from sport following the birth of her child and for mental health reasons.

The 26-year-old has an 18-15 record in singles matches in 2024 but believes she will be in a “better place” when she returns to the scene of her 2018 and 2020 Grand Slam victories.

“I think it took me a lot of time to adjust. But I feel like I’m in a good place,” she said United States Tennis Association.

Osaka continued: “I’ve always been a little pessimistic about myself. Now I just have to get to the point where I can say to myself, ‘Hey, I’m proud of you.'”

“I try to tell myself, ‘It’s okay, you’re doing great. Just get through it and keep going.’ But mentally it’s really exhausting.”

Osaka spoke at length about the hardships that come with being a professional athlete, adding that fans are unaware of how “unglamorous” the life of a professional athlete can be.

She said: “Everyday life is hard, but, I don’t know, I feel like people who are (not) athletes don’t know how unglamorous life as an athlete is.

“But maybe it’s better that way, because especially when I come to the US Open, I feel like we’re entertainers. And, I don’t know, I think that’s pretty cool.”

The world number 88 comes to New York with a new attitude and promises to have confidence in herself and her abilities.

“I don’t necessarily feel like things have to be perfect,” Osaka said. “I’m pretty adaptable.”

“I think at my best I can probably handle anything that comes my way, but I’ve promised myself to have a lot of confidence in myself and my abilities.

“I feel like that’s been missing in the last few tournaments.”