After a year of ups and downs on the tennis court, Naomi Osaka returned to winning form at the 2022 Miami Open. Osaka has been on and off the court since the clay-court season back in 2021 after she withdrew from the French Open after her controversial decision to not engage in post-match press conferences. In the time since her last match, she has been taking time off-court to focus on her mental health and find her love for the game again. Fans were excited to see her back on the court at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. However, after her shocking third-round exits at both the Olympics and US Open, she ended her season by stating winning didn’t make her happy and wasn’t sure when she would be back.
Osaka began her 2022 season with a couple of early-round exits at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells. In Australia, she approached the tournament with a different demeanor and even seemed to be enjoying herself on the court. A couple of weeks later at Indian Wells, a fan in the stands began shouting derogatory things toward Osaka as she was playing against Veronika Kudermatova in the second round. Osaka lost the match 4-6 0-6 and exited the court in tears, once more sparking rumors about her mental wellness and abilities to play top-level tennis after her struggles.
Many fans and players alike looked ahead to the Miami Open expecting shortcomings from Osaka; however, she proved her critics wrong as she powered past several top-ranked players, including Belinda Bencic, who has beaten her several times. There was a new air around Osaka as she continued on her way to the finals. Although she lost, she was full of smiles as she graciously accepted defeat at the hands of her good friend and world number 1 Iga Swiatek. Later, Osaka revealed that she was finally starting to feel more like herself as she found love in chasing after her goals. In a press conference, she also revealed she had started seeing a therapist at her sister’s urging. By openly discussing her struggles and how she has been seeking help, Osaka hopes to break the stigma surrounding mental health in sports.
For an athlete like Naomi Osaka who reigned at the top of the women’s tennis game, the pressure to win and do well increases substantially to a point where it can become almost suffocating. The minute society sees someone as good as Osaka crumble under the pressure during an off day, they are relentless in their criticism of the athlete’s ability and merit as a top player. The build-up of constant pressure and condemnation leads to self-doubt and mental deterioration, an aspect of the sporting world that is rarely discussed. For a sport like tennis that is entirely a mental game, a breakdown in mental wellness results in a loss of passion, focus and concentration for the game. It’s something that fans across the world watched happen to Osaka as she finally broke last year and it’s something that she has fought against to get back in top form.
Her journey as an athlete and mental health advocate has been inspiring to watch. Rather than make excuses for her poor matches or stray away from taboo topics, she chose to speak up and speak out on her struggles and experiences in the hopes of breaking down the barriers surrounding athletes and their mentalities. Watching Osaka’s success after her struggles from the past year has been motivational, and seeing her smile on the court once again is enough to lift anyone’s spirits who are going through similar slumps. Fans, me included, are excited to watch Osaka continue to rise beyond her haters and play hard this year.