Naomi Osaka reveals she felt a sudden surge of inspiration to get back to tennis and the highest possible level while watching a Coco Gauff US Open match last year and that’s when she promised herself that the last Grand Slam of the season would be the tournament she “does the best.”
After giving birth last July, former world No. 1 Osaka made a guest appearance at Flushing Meadows. And during her time in New York, she followed Gauff’s semifinal win over Karolina Muchova and afterward the two shared a very nice moment.
At the time of it happening, Osaka was preparing for her post-pregnancy return while Gauff ended up winning the US Open and becoming a Grand Slam champion at the age of 19. Just like Gauff, Osaka – now 26 years old – also lifted her maiden Major at the US Open in 2018.
“Yeah, I do remember, like, when I was watching Coco’s match last time I was here, I felt very inspired to play again. At that time, I didn’t know at what level could I play… I was watching in the stands last year, and I promised myself, like, this is going to be the tournament where I do the best. Or hopefully here or Japan or during the Asian swing. That’s kind of where I put all my energy. I guess we’ll see what happens,” Osaka shared.
…
