Tennis. Wimbledon – Naomi Osaka: “Sliding on grass? I asked Djokovic…”

Tennis. Wimbledon – Naomi Osaka: “Sliding on grass? I asked Djokovic…”
Tennis. Wimbledon – Naomi Osaka: “Sliding on grass? I asked Djokovic…”

It’s a small event at Wimbledon This year : Naomi Osaka is lined up in the final draw of the London Grand Slam. This hasn’t happened since 2019, due to covid and then a break in the Japanese career. For his return to grass, Osaka played pretty good tennis at ‘s-Hertogenbosch Then Berlin, despite two wins and two losses. She will start on Monday, the day before her daughter’s first birthday, with a match against the French Diane Parry.

Naomi Osaka at press conference before Wimbledon

“It’s a dream to be here with my daughter”

“My daughter will be one on Tuesday, so it will be a very exciting day,” said Osaka at a press conference. “I am lucky and blessed to have a happy and energetic daughter. It is a dream to be here with her now”. If it could bring her energy, for technique, she decided to ask the world number 2. “I tried to slide on the grass. I asked Novak how he did it. I tried several times, but it was scary. I think I should wait until the grass gets a little browner . But he told me that even if he fell, he kept getting back up and doing it. He told me that I had to overcome the fear of getting hurt.”

For his return to competition, Osaka is moving at her own pace. She is ranked 111th in the world. Despite her early elimination at Roland-Garrosshe delivered an exceptional match against Iga Swiatekfuture winner, which she does not forget. “I think if I hadn’t played Iga, I could have gone far in Paris. I just need a bit of luck. I lost the first round in Berlin, but I learned a lot. I feel pretty good about myself. People tell me I have talent for grass.”

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