Naomi Osaka: "Australia gave me a bit of self-doubt, it was a bit of harsh reality... I think I can be better"

Naomi Osaka recently admitted that her first-round exit from the Australian Open 2024 has triggered a sense of insecurity in her approach.

Osaka returned to Grand Slam tennis in Melbourne after last competing at the US Open 2022, which was held nearly one-and-a-half years ago. She had spent the entire 2023 season on maternity leave.

Osaka's much-anticipated return, however, ended in a loss as she went down in straight sets to France's Caroline Garcia in an hour and 28 minutes.

The immediate end to her Melbourne campaign was a tough pill to swallow for the two-time Australian Open champion as she recently spoke with The National about the disappointment.

"It’s like Australia gave me a little bit of self-doubt, just because I wish I could have played more matches and like I always do really well in Australia. So, it was a bit of a harsh reality. But I still think my level is improving every day and I think that I can be better and I hope that I will be better," the 26-year-old said.

Currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Abu Dhabi Open 2024, Osaka would look to put the Melbourne disappointment behind her as she gears up for her first-round opponent Danielle Collins. She holds the upper hand over Collins with a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head tally.

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Naomi Osaka: "I'm always the type of person that would rather set really high goals"

Naomi Osaka addresses a press conference at the Australian Open 2024

During her interview with The National, Naomi Osaka accepted that she believes in setting tough goals for herself.

"I'm always the type of person that would rather set really high goals and maybe I’ll do only 25 percent of that but the 25 percent is still really amazing," the Japanese said.

She, however, clarified that making deep runs at Grand Slams is not the incentive that has prompted her to stay away from her baby daughter Shai.

I don’t think that I would have come back and be like, 'Oh my goal is to get to the quarter-final of a Slam', which is still really good but that’s not why I’m spending time away from Shai," she added.

Naomi Osaka welcomed Shai, her first child, in July 2023 alongside her rapper boyfriend Cordae. She has been seeing Cordae since 2019.