"Growing up, I never liked myself" - Naomi Osaka opens up about dealing with self-doubt & learning to love herself

Naomi Osaka has opened up about dealing with self-doubt during her early years and how she learned to love herself as she grew up. The former World No.1 is writing a book and shared an excerpt from the chapter named 'Self Love'.

Osaka was born in Japan to parents Leonard François and Tamaki Osaka but the family moved to the United States when she was four years old. Her father was inspired to teach her daughter tennis after watching Serena Williams and Venus Williams perform at the 1999 French Open.

The Japanese player made her professional debut in 2013 and has since become the only Asian player to be ranked World No.1. The 27-year-old has four Grand Slam titles to her name and though still competing, she is likely penning down her memoir while preparing for the 2025 season.

Osaka shared an excerpt from her book in an Instagram post, explaining how she overcame self-doubt after never liking herself while growing up.

"Growing up I never liked myself. While that statement is bold, I also wouldn't say I disliked myself either. It was a strange contradiction of thought, I was existing but I didn't have a strong emotion or opinion tied to my being whether positive or negative," she wrote.

The 27-year-old added that she used to compare herself with others both for outward appearance and tennis skills, and that stole the joy from her life.

"Comparison is the thief of joy. When I was a teenager I used to compare myself to other people a lot. Whether it was from being a stereotypical teenage girl and thinking my body wasn't conventionally attractive because I'm an athlete, or comparing myself to other tennis players and thinking I'm behind," Naomi Osaka added.

The four-time Grand Slam champion further added that she overcame self-doubt and began to love herself after going through hardships in life.

"If felt like the more I preserved through rough times the more I began to appreciate myself and in that way started a strong comradeship between my body and my mind. I began to feel grateful every day when I woke up," she explained.

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Naomi Osaka's comeback run went haywire in 2024 but the Japanese could surprise many in 2025

2024 China Open - Naomi Osaka in action (Source: Getty)

Naomi Osaka returned to the WTA circuit earlier this year after a long break from the sport that saw her give birth to daughter Shai in July 2023. She returned to action at the Brisbane International 2024 as a wildcard but was eliminated from the second round.

Osaka faced a first-round exit from the Australian Open and second-round exits from the rest of the three Grand Slam tournaments. The 27-year-old also parted ways with longtime coach Wim Fissete and brought in Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

The Japanese finished the season with a 22-18 win/loss record and while it's low by her standards, the 27-year-old is gearing up to get back to winning Grand Slams in the 2025 season.

"She's extremely motivated to come back and win Grand Slams, and it's a pleasure for me because that's the dream of every coach: to have a player who has that level of motivation,” Naomi Osaka's current coach Mouratoglou said in an interview with Sky Sports.

The former World No.1 seems to have left last season's woes behind as she recently kicked off the preparations for the 2025 season.