Naomi Osaka issued an apology to Nike and admitted “my entire being is so disappointed” with her Australian Open result.
Playing in her first post-pregnancy Grand Slam tournament, Osaka didn’t make it far in Melbourne, losing 4-6 6-7 (2) to Caroline Garcia. Although there was no doubt that Garcia was one of the toughest opponents Osaka could have drawn, the two-time Australian Open champion was still left very disappointed after suffering a first-round exit at Melbourne Park.
Before the Australian Open, Osaka played her first tournament in 16 months at the Brisbane International. In Brisbane, Osaka defeated Tamara Korpatsch before losing to Karolina Pliskova in the second round.
“Currently however my entire being is so disappointed with my result, the standards I set for myself are so incredibly high. I try to remind myself that I was pregnant 6 months ago and I can’t expect amazing results from the jump-that doesn’t really do much to quell my thoughts,” Osaka wrote in a message posted on her X account.
Naomi Osaka© Getty Images Sport – Cameron Spencer
Before launching her comeback, Osaka admitted her six-month-old baby Shai would be her biggest motivation to do well. While it was disappointing for Osaka to lose early in Melbourne, she underlined she does not have time to “mope” after losses anymore and also added she was excited about seeing her daughter.
Thank you for the memories, see you next year Melbourne ❤️ pic.twitter.com/E7GYm3IhIL
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 16, 2024
Osaka apologizes to Nike
On Instagram, Osaka reposted a Nike billboard that features the four-time Grand Slam champion.
“Thank you @nike. I’m sorry I couldn’t show off the outfit longer. I’ll do better next time,” Osaka captioned her Instagram Story.
Naomi Osaka Nike billboard © Naomi Osaka – Instagram
Although Osaka didn’t make any notable results in Australia, she was still competitive and there were definitely come encouraging signs. For Osaka, the main thing right now is to slowly build on her game and rediscover her game that was once making her one of the best players in the game.
It will be interesting to see if Osaka manages to rediscover her old form this year and accomplish her post-pregnancy targets.
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