Osaka: "It Has Taken Three Years Since Childbirth for Me to Feel Like Myself Again"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 28 May 2026 | 15.07

Naomi Osaka, accident at Roland Garros 2026. Photo: gettyimages

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Naomi Osaka continues to grow at Roland Garros 2026 after reaching the third round in a tournament where she is probably showing her most solid version on clay in years. The former world number one acknowledged after her victory that the match was much tougher than the scoreboard reflected and shared interesting thoughts on her mental evolution since returning to the circuit after motherhood.

The Japanese player also talked about the car accident she had two days before the match, her admiration for a possible return of Serena Williams, how she has changed physically since pregnancy, and the new tranquility with which she currently faces moments of maximum competitive tension. Naomi Osaka also shared curious tactical reflections on modern tennis and her adaptation to clay.

Analysis of her victory and the conditions in Paris

"Today was really tough. I am happy to have been able to win in two sets because honestly, every game felt very tight. I quite like this heat; in fact, I would almost like it to be even hotter. I enjoy that feeling of working hard and sweating a lot. I used ice towels during the match, but honestly, I feel very comfortable playing in these conditions."

The car accident she had before the match

"Yes, we had a little accident two days ago. I realized that in dangerous situations, I don't really panic. I just think very slowly: 'Okay, this is happening.' I wasn't afraid for my life, but I did think: 'Wow, this bus is really crushing our car.' You could clearly hear the car breaking as it kept pushing us. The weirdest part was that the bus kept moving forward and forward. For a moment, I even thought it was going to flip our car completely."

Her reaction to a possible return of Serena Williams

"Honestly, I don't think too much about whether it's good for tennis or not. I know it would be incredibly entertaining for me. Obviously, Serena always attracts a lot of people and a lot of attention wherever she plays. I will definitely watch her first match because Serena and Venus were my big role models when I was young. It would be very nice to see her back in a tournament."

How she has changed mentally since last year

"Mentally, I am very different even compared to last year. Last year, I used to get very stressed when the matches were tight. I would quite panic and struggle a lot to handle those moments."

"Now I just try to play point by point. I am quite at peace with the idea of losing as long as I feel I gave absolutely everything and made the match as difficult as possible for my opponent. Today, when she broke my serve, I tried to stay calm and keep fighting."

How she has changed physically since motherhood

"After pregnancy, I honestly felt like I wasn't in my own body anymore. Now, three years later, I feel more and more like I am myself again."

"I have worked a lot on the physical aspect since I returned to the circuit. I try to return many more balls, avoid injuries, and adapt to how tennis is evolving currently."

Her view on modern tennis

"I think tennis has changed quite a bit from my early years on the circuit. Today, practically no one can solely play defensively. Against certain players, you need to be aggressive no matter what. For example, against someone like Sabalenka, it would be very difficult to win by just playing defensively. Now, all players need to know how to finish points."

Her thoughts on playing aggressively or defensively

"Honestly, I never had an ego about playing aggressively or defensively. For me, the only important thing is to win the point. In fact, when I was younger, I probably even preferred to play more defensively."

Her tactical adaptation to clay

"On clay, you obviously know that points will be longer. Today, I did some things tactically wrong that I probably could have handled better. I talked a lot with Tomasz before the match, and he gave me a very clear plan. Maybe I didn't follow it as well as I should have."

"But I quite like moving on clay, especially towards the right side. I feel like my shots have more weight here, and I manage to push my opponents much farther back than on hard courts."

With increasingly better feelings at Roland Garros 2026, Japanese player Naomi Osaka made it clear that her current great evolution is not only about tennis but also about a new mental and emotional maturity. She seems much more stable, calm, and prepared to manage pressure than in previous seasons.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Osaka: "Han tenido que pasar tres años desde el parto para que vuelva a sentirme yo misma"