Naomi Osaka eyes grand slam seeding, more wins, expects to be fit for Australian Open
Japanese star says becoming a mother had given her power and meaning, which she planned to channel into her tennis
Naomi Osaka said the birth of her daughter had brought power and greater meaning to her life, and she wanted to channel that into winning tournaments next season.
Speaking at an event in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the former Australian Open and US Open champion also said she hoped to be seeded for the grand slams, and had her eye on being ready for the year’s first major event in Melbourne in January.
Osaka had been expected to play at the Prudential Hong Kong Open this week, but was forced to end her year early after rupturing abdominal muscles.
“My back’s completely fine now but they said that if I served continuously, then I could injure it for a longer duration,” she said. “So I feel pretty good now and should be good for Australia [in January].”
Ranked No 59 in the world, Osaka agreed to come to the city to visit “her wonderful fans” and was giving an hour-long clinic at the Causeway Bay Sports Ground to some 30 youngsters as part of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association’s training programme for its national squad.
Speaking to the media after the session, Osaka said her daughter Shai had changed her life by bringing a perspective that was not there before.
