"We take Naomi Osaka's greatness for granted... If I'm on her team, I'm thrilled with where she's at" - Andy Roddick on Japanese's comeback

Andy Roddick recently gave his thoughts on Naomi Osaka's comeback, highlighting that many have taken her "greatness for granted" since her return.

Osaka returned to the tennis court this year after a 15-month break after giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023. Her last match was at the Japan Open in September 2022, where she had to withdraw from her second-round match against Beatriz Haddad Maia due to illness. The four-time Grand Slam champion also missed the 2023 Australian Open due to her pregnancy.

Since her return, Osaka's performance has been underwhelming. She started her season at the Brisbane International, where she was eliminated in the second round by Karolina Pliskova. At the Australian Open, she suffered a first-round loss to Caroline Garcia. Her struggles continued at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she was defeated in the first round by Danielle Collins.

Despite these setbacks, Naomi Osaka showed flashes of her former self at the Qatar Open, reaching the quarterfinals. Along the way, she defeated Caroline Garcia, Petra Martic, and Lesia Tsurenko to advance to the last eight. Her run in Doha ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to Karolina Pliskova.

In the latest episode of the "Served with Andy Roddick" podcast, Roddick mentioned that despite her lackluster performances, Osaka is displaying promising signs by competing in "tough matches" early in her comeback.

"I actually think she's probably ahead of schedule because you can play those tough matches and actually pull a couple out pretty early in a comeback. That's kind of a big deal to have your body actually go through a couple of weeks in a row. I was kind of really, really happy when she talked, pre-Australia, about, "I'm going to play a very full schedule." If she gets the reps and can get back, I don't question the tennis. The ball striking looked phenomenal," Andy Roddick said (at 12:20).

"That is done through reps, and the confidence in those moments is not recreated in practice in Beverly Hills. It's just not. So for her to get back out there, I thought this was a really, really good result," he added.

Roddick also stated that people are not fully appreciating Naomi Osaka's "greatness" and are underestimating her potential. He expressed that the former World No. 1 will soon return to her peak form and emphasized that Osaka's team should be ecstatic to see the level at which she's playing.

"I don't wanna undersell just because we kind of take her greatness for granted and what it was. I think if I'm on her team, I'm thrilled with where she's at," Roddick said (at 13:20).

Naomi Osaka on her performance since her return: "I always do really well in Australia, so it was a bit of a harsh reality"

Naomi Osaka at the 2024 Qatar TotalEnergies Open

Speaking to tennis journalist Reem Abulleil for The National, Naomi Osaka opened her recent performance in Australia. The two-time Australian Open champion admitted that her below-par performances at the 2024 Brisbane International and the Australian Open served as a "harsh reality" check, as she typically performs well in the country.

“Australia gave me a little bit of self-doubt, just because I wish I could have played more matches and I always do really well in Australia. So it was a bit of a harsh reality," Naomi Osaka said.

Reflecting on her struggles, Osaka revealed that she is practicing and trying to get better, setting a high standard for herself.

“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. I’m always the type of person that would rather set really high goals and maybe I’ll do only 25 per cent of that but the 25 per cent is still really amazing," she added.

Naomi Osaka also stated that she wants to excel in all tournaments she competes in, not just the Grand Slams.

“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 said.