Getty Image / Robert Prange
Naomi Osaka is nearing her comeback to professional tennis at next month’s Australian Open. And, on Friday, she thanked fans in a statement for their continued support throughout her yearlong hiatus from the sport.
Osaka released the statement via social media.
Here is the statement.
“Thank you. Thank you for believing in me and thank you for putting up with me. I know we’ve shared some really amazing memories and I also know that i’ve done some things that I wish I would’ve handled differently (lol). Regardless of all that, thank you for allowing me to grow up on my own time and thank you for showing me a ton of patience. I don’t know what I did to deserve you all but i’m so extremely grateful.
Very honored to be going on chapter 2 of this tennis journey together and i’m so excited to see you guys next year ☺️❤️”
Naomi Osaka last played a competitive tournament at the 2022 Pan Pacific Open in September of that year. She withrew from that tournament with abdominal pain.
In January 2023, she withdrew from the Australian Open and revealed that she was pregnant with her first child, with the father being rapper Cordae. Osaka gave birth in July, and started training for her comeback soon after.
It wasn’t that long ago where she was thought of as the best player in the world. She won at least one slam in every season from 2018-2021, winning the US Open twice and Australian Open twice. But, mental health issues caused her to withdraw from tournaments, including Wimbledon in 2021, and her career has never really hit the level of sustained dominance many thought we would see from a player of her talent.
Plenty of players have had great comebacks following childbirth, and usually it’s at an older age than Naomi Osaka is. Given her aggressive, high-risk style of play, I think expectations should be low to start as she gets back her timing on her ground strokes. But, there’s no reason why she can’t be one of the world’s best players again.
At one time, she was one of the world’s most marketable athletes, as well. I’m sure her sponsors Nike, Tag Heuer, and Panasonic, among others, are excited for her to return to form.