TOKYO, Sept 27 — Four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka looks set to return to tennis shortly after getting “that itch” to play again.
Osaka said at the US Open earlier this month that she would take a break from the game to concentrate on her mental health following a third round defeat by Leylah Fernandez. The former world number one, who pulled out of next month’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, has struggled for form since she withdrew from the French Open in May following a row with tournament officials over required media appearances, which she said had a negative impact on her.that she still loved the sport and was already looking to get back to the court.“But it wouldn’t really matter to me if I won or lost.
“I used to love the competition and just being competitive. If I were to play a long match, the longer it was the more fun it was for me,” she said. “Then I just started to feel — recently — the longer it was the more stressed out I became. But I just needed a break to go within myself.” — Bernama