CNN
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Former world no Naomi Osaka The 25-year-old said in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday that he plans to return to professional tennis in 2024.
Four-time major champion – Conn A baby girl was welcomed with her boyfriend, rapper Cordy, in July – said she plans to play a busy schedule next year.
“It’s definitely a bigger tournament than I used to play,” Osaka told ESPN. “So, I think some people will be happy with that.”
“I think it’s because I feel like I don’t know how the start of the year is going to go for me. I don’t know the level of play and I think I have to ease into it. So At least, I’m going to set myself up for a really good end to the year,” Osaka said.
Osaka, who has not played since the Tour Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2022, Said before She plans to return to tennis in 2024 for the Australian Open, a tournament she has won on two previous occasions.
Osaka was asked if her break from tennis missed her, to which she replied, “Of course.”
“I’m watching the match and I’m like, ‘I wish I could play,'” Osaka said. “But I’m in this position now and I’m so grateful. I really love my daughter, but I think she’s really lit a fire in me.
Osaka took some time off from competitive tennis and made several highly publicized revelations about herself Struggles with mental health Following an incident in 2021, where she was visibly tense and emotional while addressing the media during a mandatory news conference at Roland Garros.
She then withdrew from the French Open that year, revealing that she had suffered from a “prolonged bout of depression” since winning her first major championship in 2018.
Osaka was participating in the US Open in New York on Wednesday. She also attended a forum on mental health at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center that same day, with USA Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and US Tennis Chairman Dr. Brian Heinlein attended. Association Board and NCAA Chief Medical Officer.
Osaka said she learned a lot from talking about her experiences with mental health and becoming an advocate for mental health awareness.
“I feel like I’m someone who’s learning all the time. Obviously, I learned a lot from the conversation I was having,” Osaka said. “I would say that my role is just To raise awareness and let people know they are not alone.
“Physical pain and mental pain are the same for me. We have doctors for physical health but when we talk about mental health it’s not acknowledged, so it’s just about raising awareness. ”
She was also previously asked about her comments that she felt “lonely” while pregnant.
“I definitely only know this world, the tennis world,” Osaka said. “Just being away from it for so long, it was new for me. I think it was just the new situation and not being able to train the way I wanted to, it made me feel like I was just at home. Will stay … It felt very restrictive.