Naomi Osaka says she doesn't 'feel like I'm in my body' after series of losses since return from maternity leave
Tennis star Naomi Osaka says she feels like a stranger in her own body after her early exit from the Cincinnati Open, capping off a string of disappointing performances since she returned from maternity leave.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka says she feels like a stranger in her own body after her early exit from the Cincinnati Open, capping off a string of disappointing performances since she returned from maternity leave.
"My biggest issue currently isn't losses though, my biggest issue is that I don't feel like I'm in my body," Osaka wrote Tuesday on Instagram. "It's a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn't miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to."
After the birth of her first child with her boyfriend, the rapper Cordae, in July 2023, Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, returned to the court in January. But her comeback has not gone as planned.
Osaka lost in the first round of the Australia Open, then faltered in the second rounds of the French Open and Wimbledon. At the Cincinnati Open on Monday, she lost to American Ashlyn Krueger in the final round of qualifiers.
Once the world's No. 1 player, Osaka, 26, is now ranked 90th as she prepares for the final Grand Slam of the year at the U.S. Open, with qualifiers starting Monday.
Rating: 5