© Getty Images Sport – Chris Hyde
Naomi Osaka admitted she doubted if she could compete against everyone just a couple of weeks ago but now she is enjoying herself on the court more than ever and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are to credit for that.
This week, 26-year-old Osaka made her post-pregnancy comeback at the Brisbane International. Considering that Osaka hadn’t played in a really long time – since 2022 September – the tennis community was extremely curious about the Japanese’s comeback.
In her first match as a mom, Osaka did well as she beat Tamara Korpatsch 6-3 7-6 (9). On Wednesday, Osaka returned to the court for her second-round match. This time, Osaka was facing a much more difficult opponent – former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova.
Against two-time Grand Slam finalist Pliskova, Osaka made a great start but then lost a tight second and eventually the match as the Czech came back to win 3-6 7-6 (4) 6-4. Osaka may have lost on the losing side but she was very positive about her performance in Brisbane.
“I think for me even stepping on the court is a personal win because a couple of weeks ago I was even doubting if I could play with everyone. So I guess these two matches that I’ve had kind of prove to me that I am doing okay, and the year is…
