Naomi Osaka, plagued by repeated psychological problems, successfully entered the WTA tournament in Miami. Wednesday March 23, she was smiling after her victory against Australia’s Astra Sharma (6-3, 6-4) for her entry into the tournament in Florida.
The former world No. 1, four-time Grand Slam winner, announced at a post-match press conference that she had “started working with a therapist”. Because since Roland-Garros 2021, from which she had withdrawn to preserve her mental health after a controversy triggered by her refusal to submit to media obligations, the 24-year-old Japanese player is going through a difficult period.
hey miami pic.twitter.com/P2IcJFvW0w
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) March 22, 2022
In less than a year, she tumbled from first place to 77th in the world. In addition to her personal struggles, Naomi Osaka has recently faced disappointment from some supporters. For example, she was eliminated in the second round of the Indian Wells tournament, after wiping away a few tears during and after the match, touched by a cry emanating from the stands: “Naomi, you suck!”
In a press conference, after her express victory against Sharma on Wednesday, in an hour and twenty minutes, Osaka revealed that she had started working with a psychotherapist following the advice of her sister.
The therapist “told me about strategies and a whole bunch of stuff like deep breathing, resetting the counters when needed. I’m starting to realize how much this can help me. I’m so glad I got people around me who encouraged me to go in this direction”she confided.
“This is like my home tournament. This is the tournament I loved coming to once a year.” @naomiosaka | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/A1os1J7kR5
—wta (@WTA) March 23, 2022
As for his trainer, Wim fissette, “He presented it to me in a very good way, telling me that if I hire a coach for tennis, for physical preparation, the mind is also very important. So getting help from a professional, to win even 0.5% is already worth it”.
At the very beginning of the year, for her return to competition in Australia after a mentally difficult year in 2021, the 24-year-old young woman, plagued by anxiety, said “just want to feel pleasure” on the court.