Naomi Osaka may have lost three consecutive matches following her successful return from maternity leave, but the former world number one stated before the Qatar Open that the only way from here is forward. The four-time Grand Slam winner, who gave birth to her daughter Shai last July, won her first match after 15 months at the Brisbane International last month before losing to Karolína Plíšková in the second round.
Osaka lost in her opening matches at the Australian Open and Abu Dhabi against Caroline Garcia and American Danielle Collins, but the 26-year-old Japanese player said she has not lost confidence in herself.
Osaka told reporters, "It’s definitely hard for me not to be hard on myself, but after Abu Dhabi, I have a little more self-belief, which is a bit strange. I feel, having seen the worst that could happen, that everything else is a bonus. In Australia, I know I said I was only going to play in Dubai, so I feel I should consider these tournaments as extras. Someone told me it's a very costly experience, so I don’t know, after they said that, I feel very optimistic."
Osaka, who opens her campaign in Doha against 15th-ranked Garcia later today, expressed her preference for facing stronger competitors like the French player.
She added, "I learn a lot from matches. So it’s funny, of course, to hear that I’m facing her again, but I’m a little happy about it. She has always been really nice, and I know I’m not supposed to think about that with my opponents, but I know we also share the same birthday. At the end of the day, the Libra will win."
