Being a role model for her young daughter Shai has motivated former world number one Naomi Osaka to return to the tennis tour
“Being a mother has changed my life a lot,” said the Japanese player shortly before her comeback at the tournament in Brisbane: “I want to show Shai that she can achieve anything. That’s one of the main reasons for being back.”
Four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka is returning to the tour after a break of around 15 months. The 26-year-old gave birth to Shai in July; Osaka last appeared on court in Tokyo in September 2022. Prior to her pregnancy, she struggled with mental problems and her major triumph form (Australian Open 2019, 2021 and US Open 2018, 2020) was lagging behind