“I am playing for her,” Naomi Osaka talks about having a new responsibility after birth of daughter Shai

Osaka reveals how she is now going to be representing both herself and her daughter on the court.

“I am playing for her,” Naomi Osaka talks about having a new responsibility after birth of daughter Shai

Naomi Osaka in action during a match (credits: Olympics.com)

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has been out of action for a long time now due to the birth of her daughter, Shai. After finally looking after her young daughter, Osaka has hinted at her return in the new season next year. She had sat for an interview with media outlet Eurosport, giving an insight into her plans for the future and what changes he will inflict after welcoming her sweet young daughter into her life.

Osaka talked about the new mindset she has developed since becoming a mother and also agreed to act sensibly across the next chapter of her life. She has also revealed how she is now going to be representing both herself and her daughter on the court. And that playing for her daughter will make things easy for herself as well.

Osaka also expressed his eagerness to manage her parental duties, saying,

FS Video
I've never been a person that's really good at playing for myself, if that makes sense. So I kind of like the feeling of having the responsibility of having to take care of Shai and wanting to show her around the world. I kind of feel more like I'm playing for her.
Naomi Osaka via Eurosport

Naomi Osaka lists her targets for the next year

Osaka has revealed her targets and aims for the new year when she gets back. She talked about how she was not under too much pressure when she came into professional tennis as a teenager but things won’t be the same for her when she makes her return.

She said, 

In the first chapter of my tennis I kind of got away with just being myself and playing with my instincts. I think I want to be someone that understands the game a lot more.
Naomi Osaka with her team after winning the US Open. (credits: Olympics.com)

Osaka also clarified about the competitions she has in the back of her mind as she looks to add more Slams to her trophy cabinet. She rose to recognition and fame for her wonderful US Open winning campaign way back in 2018, and since then, she has won another US Open and two more Australian Open titles. The Japanese ace also highlighted the fact that she wants to make a mark at the Paris Olympics next year and win something for her country as well.

In case you missed it: