Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, former world number one, returned to the court this Monday after more than a year of absence, defeating German Tamara Korpacz at a tournament in Brisbane, Australia.
Osaka, who has not played professionally since September 2022 and became a mother in July 2023, beat the 83rd ranked WTA player in straight sets, 6-3 and 7-6 (11-9), in one hour and 48 minutes. .
“I was very nervous the whole time. Part of me felt like Shai. [a sua filha] was watching me. I wanted to do everything I could for her, and while I’m playing, I want to be an example for her,” explained the 26-year-old Japanese woman.
In the second round of the Australian competition, Naomi Osaka will face Czech Karolina Pliskova, 39th in the pecking order, who was exempted from the first round.
The Japanese tennis player has four Grand Slam titles to her name: two in Australia (2019 and 2021), which starts on January 14 in Melbourne in 2024, and many others at the US Open (2018 and 2020).
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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