Naomi Osaka has managed her comeback to tennis masterfully thus far, and we are now starting to see the results of months of hard work.
After all, the Japanese star missed the bulk of 2023 as she took time out of the game to give birth to her first child.
Now seeking to recapture the level that saw her claim four Grand Slam titles, a recent interview details the immense confidence she still boasts in her own ability.
But what does Osaka see as her greatest weapon? We take a closer look…
What Naomi Osaka said about her game
As a powerful player capable of trading hammer blows from the baseline, a lack of sharpness has seen her struggle in the opening few matches of 2024.
However, there was a belief that she would find her form eventually, and it seems like the Qatar Open has played host to the reignition of Osaka’s tennis career.
Seeking to develop her game further now, not just content with her current level, she has since revealed how she has taken great inspiration from Novak Djokovic on how to return serves better.
But, she remains certain that her own serve is one of the best on tour, noting after her first-round win over Carolina Garcia in Doha: ‘I did change my return – I don’t want to say ‘style’, but I guess form. I don’t know how to describe it.
‘Like, before I was taking one step, one step, and then jumping in, but now I’m kind of just jumping in with both feet, because apparently Djokovic does that, so why not copy the best returner in the world?
‘I had a conversation with Wim [Fissette] and it was a little frustrating knowing that my service is one of the best in the world, but I wanted to work on the things that I know should be much better and the [return] was one of them.’
Naomi Osaka is back!
Kickstarting her 2024 in Brisbane, two-spirited displays saw her narrowly defeated by Karolina Pliskova in the Round of 32. A solid showing.
However, moving into the Australian Open saw her swept aside by Caroline Garcia, emphasising how far away from that level she seemed.
The Abu Dhabi Open fared no better despite vocal praise from Elena Rybakina, as Danielle Collins dumped her out in the first round in straight sets, but at last Qatar seems to signify her return.
Avenging her Melbourne defeat against Garcia, she overcame the world number 21 before Petra Martic also fell at her hands.
Now poised to do battle with Lesia Tsurenko later today, it finally seems like we are seeing shades of the old Osaka once again. Exciting times lay ahead for the 26-year-old.
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