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Naomi Osaka funnily poked fun at herself after completely missing a shot during a practice session. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, gave birth in July and she is preparing to return to tennis at the start of the 2024 season.
In a video posted on her X account, Osaka showed how she missed a shot in practice and started laughing at herself. "Embarrassing fr (for real)," Osaka captioned her post.
embarrassing fr 💀 pic.twitter.com/g5MULz2qat — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) October 9, 2023
Osaka motivated to make a major comeback
After not playing really much during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Osaka is missing the entire 2023 season.
But a lengthy break from tennis might have been exactly what Osaka needed. During this past US Open, former world No 1 Osaka made a guest appearance. At Flushing Meadows, Osaka told her fans she would be playing more tournaments than it was the case in the last few years.
"It's definitely way more tournaments than I used to play. So I think some people will be happy with that. I think it's because I realized that I don't know how the beginning of the year is going to go for me. I don't know the level of play and I think I have to ease into it.
So at the very least, I'll set myself up for a very good end of the year," Osaka told ESPN at the US Open. In January - just before the start of the Australian Open - Osaka announced she was pregnant and out for the entire 2023 season.
While sidelined, Osaka realized how much she actually loves tennis. "I definitely only know this world, the tennis world. Being away from that for a long time, it was new for me. Just the new situation and not being able to train the way I wanted to, it made me feel like I would just stay at home," Osaka said.