Naomi Osaka back in US Open partakes in mental health forum
Naomi Osaka returned to Flushing Meadows on Wednesday afternoon to speak at a mental health forum at the US Open.
A two-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka hasn’t made an appearance on the New York court this year after giving birth to daughter Shai with rapper boyfriend Cordae in July.
However, fans got a glimpse of the four-time Grand Slam winner as she made an appearance at the US Open on Wednesday.
Osaka was back in Queens, the site of her first Grand Slam victory in 2018, to take part in a forum to discuss mental health issues alongside US surgeon general Vivek Murthy and US Olympic icon Michael Phelps.
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The Japanese tennis star has spoken publicly about his own battles with mental health on and off the court
She pulled out of Roland-Garros 2021, revealing she had already suffered from depression after her refusal to give post-match interviews was criticized.
“I never meant to be a distraction and I accept that my timing wasn’t ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly, I will never trivialize mental health or use the term to lightly,” she said.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m introverted, and anyone who’s seen me at tournaments will notice that I often wear headphones, as it helps ease my social anxiety.
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“Even though the tennis press has always been nice to me (and I especially want to apologize to any nice journalists I may have offended), I’m not a natural speaker and I feel huge waves of anxiety before speaking to the media around the world.
“I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try to engage and give you the best possible answers.”
After a shock loss at the US Open to Leylah Fernandez in 2021, she tearfully said, “Honestly, I don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match.
“I think I’m going to take a break for a while. I feel like when I win I don’t feel happy, I feel relief. And when I lose, I feel very sad. And I don’t think that’s normal.
Osaka announced she was pregnant in January, and in June she said she was expecting a girl. She has been in a relationship with Grammy-nominated American rapper Cordae since 2019.
Osaka admitted that she thought her career would be over after welcoming a child, but after the birth of her daughter, she said she was motivated to do well to be an inspiration to her child.
Osaka, who turns 26 in October, has not played tennis since September 2022 but is now targeting a return to the Australian Open in January 2024 and recently shared an Instagram post of her on the trail of his return.