BRISBANE-. Motherhood helped Naomi Osaka to put together a new mentality when things get complicated on the court.
In her first official match since September 2022, the Japanese, who has four majors, lost her serve when on a match point and needed three more to decide the tiebreaker for her side and win 6-3, 7-6 on Monday (9) to the German Tamara Korpatsch at the Brisbane International.
Osaka skipped last year’s Australian Open and later revealed she was pregnant. She and her partner, rapper Cordae, co-parented her daughter Shai in Los Angeles in July.
“It’s a big change overnight,” said the former world number 1 about her return to the circuit as a mother. “I like it a lot because (…) in some way I think (Shai) has helped me grow a lot and very fast.”
“Off the court I’m more aware of people and I appreciate them a lot more, even my rivals and all that,” he noted. “On the court, it’s helping me be stronger and more present in the moment.”
On Monday, every time he missed a chance to seal his victory, he pulled himself together and focused on having another chance.
“I was super nervous the whole time,” Osaka admitted. “Part of me felt like Shai was watching me. I wanted to do my best for her.”
Until Monday, Osaka had not played professionally since falling in the first round of the US Open in 2022.
In the second round she will face former number one Karolina Pliskova, who has been crowned in Brisbane three times.
Persistent rain forced matches on the outdoor courts to be suspended, concentrating the action on the main court, which is covered.
In the men’s draw, first seed Holger Rune came from behind to dispose of Max Purcell 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and second seed Grigor Dimitrov won 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to Andy Murray in a night duel that lasted two and a half hours between two former Brisbane champions.
Ben Shelton (3rd), the 21-year-old American who reached the semifinals of the US Open last year, fell 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to Roman Safiullin.
Brisbane is one of the key preparation tournaments for the Australian Open, which begins on January 14 in Melbourne.
Source: AP
