Naomi Osaka wins on competitive return after four-month absence
Naomi Osaka won on her competitive return to tennis after a four-month spell away from the sport.
Competing in the furst round of the Australian Open warm-up tournament, Osaka overcame French player Alize Cornet 6-4 3-6 6-3.
Osaka did not compete at the French Open or Wimbledon, citing mental health reasons. She competed for her country at the Olympics in Tokyo, making the third round.
After losing to eventual finalist Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the US Open, Osaka took a break from the sport.
The Japanese star said following her victory: “I only really have one major goal this year, and it’s completely unrelated to results and stuff like that.
“For me, I just want to feel like every time I step on the court I’m having fun,” Osaka added. “I can walk off the court knowing that even if I lost, I tried as hard as I could.
“Also, I have a goal in the pressroom, that I’m never going to cry again, so hopefully that works out in my favour.
“I’m the type of person that cared a little bit too much about the results and the ranking and stuff like that and I just need to find a way to enjoy the game again. Because that’s the reason why I was playing in the first place.”
The Australian Open gets underway on 17 January in Melbourne.