Kim Clijsters has offered some encouraging words for Naomi Osaka as the Belgian former world No. 1 thinks the Japanese is "doing all the right things" and she can expect to make some noiseif she continues this way.
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As you probably already know very well by now, the 26-year-old returned to tennis with a rediscovered joy and passion for the game. But so far in her post-pregnancy comeback, the four-time Grand Slam champion hasn't managed to accomplish her goal of returning to being one of the best in the game.
While Osaka has had some notable performances and wins this year, it was evident many times that she felt crushed following a loss and that it wasn't easy for her to deal with failing to meet her expectations. Just recently afterlosing in the Cincinnati qualifying final round, she issued a lengthy message in which she opened up about the struggles and the "out of body experience" she was going through.
When it comes to on-court stuff,the Japanese tennis star nearly became the first player since 2021 to beat Iga Swiatek at the French Open as she was 5-2 up in the third set of their match and even had a match point before ultimately losing to the world No. 1 in a thriller.
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Reflecting on that, Clijsters described it as "a pinnacle moment" for Osaka's game since she competed at an elite level against the best player in the game.
Shes doing all the right things, going in the right direction. If she can keep putting the work in and finding enjoyment, she can definitely cause some more damage," the former four-time Major winner said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.
Osaka wants to win immediately: Every time I lose, I feel like my heart dies...
After the former world No. 1 lost to Caroline Garcia in the Australian Open first round and afterward looked crushed and admitted to the press that she was "delusional enough" to think she could win her first Slam in a year and a half, it was crystal clear that she wanted to win immediately.
Before kicking off her US Open return, the 26-year-old noted that the last Major of the year circled on her calendar and that it was a tournament where she absolutely wanted to do well. But after beating Jelena Ostapenko in the first round to clinch her first win at Flushing Meadows as a mother, Osaka got a cold shower in her following match after losing to Karolina Muchova.
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"It's a little rough because I do take these losses really personally. It's like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose. I've been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them," the Japanese admitted after the loss.
Osaka is aware of the reality but it still isn't easy
Before stepping away from the game to take care of her pregnancy, the former world No. 1 had two rough seasons and what she was going through at the time is well-documented. And now, the Japanese is aware of the fact that it has been years since she was a top player.
"I feel like I'm coming back from pregnancy, but also it wasn't like in 2022 I was the best version of myself. So in some way I had to catch up to that, and then also I'm trying to pass it at the same time. It's been a little difficult because obviously I can only gauge how I'm doing by results. I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it's a little rough," Osaka noted after her US Open exit.
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However, the two-time Australian Open didn't want to look at the entire situation negatively.
"I think this year for me has been a learning year. I put a lot of energy and effort into all the tournaments that I played. Australian Open was so fast, so I probably forgot that one. I enjoyed learning how to enjoy the French Open. I haven't been to Wimbledon in years, so it was nice to go back there," she explained.
A couple of days after seeing her campaign in New York come to an end early, the Japanese sat down to reflect on everything and shared it with her fans.
"Honestly I had typed out a whole caption about how Im disappointed with myself etc but Ive been sitting here playing with my daughter and I realized that I couldnt be more proud of myself. I gave birth to such an amazing human and I played the US Open? A win is a win. Sure it didnt work out this time but I have faith it will eventually. Thank you NY (heart emoji) see you next time," she wrote on Instagram.
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It will be interesting to see if Osaka can do well during the Asian indoor swing, where she will have great support.
