Paris Olympics: Amid Slew of Withdrawals, Naomi Osaka Opens Up on Her Childhood Memory Influenced Decision

Naomi Osaka’s 2024 season has been anything but smooth. After an early exit from the Australian and French Open tournaments, the Japanese has yet to show her usual charm on-court. However, the four-time Grand Slam champion is not leaving any opportunity to bring her magic back, be it performing at Wimbledon or going to the Olympics. In a year where many have opted not to go to Paris, Osaka has revealed her determination to do the opposite, all because of childhood memories associated with the grandest event in sports!

In April, the former World No.1 revealed in an interview, ” [I] would hope that I get to play” at the Olympic games this season. Furthermore, she also added how she would like to participate in the games “if they let” her. Two months after that, Osaka confirmed that she would represent her country, Japan, at the Olympics, along with Kei Nishikori and Moyuka Uchijima.

However, as per the recent trend of withdrawals by various athletes like Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, etc. from the Games (which will be played on the clay courts of Roland Garros) in order to find their form on the grass, doubts about Osaka’s participation in the Olympics has grown. However, not to worry!

The 26-year-old player has confirmed she is out of the withdrawal list and explained how the previous editions of the game influenced her. In a post-match press conference after her first-round victory at Wimbledon, Osaka answered, “I mean for me the Olympics means so much to me growing up as a kid that’s like the one event I remember just pooling around the TV with my sister.” 

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Further adding about her experience with Mari Osaka, a former tennis pro, she said, “And we mainly loved watching track but basically all the sports were fair game and I just love being around other athletes and I love the team spirit of it all.” Osaka, who remained absent from the sport for 15 months owing to her maternity leave, has returned to action last year. Even before that, the Japanese tennis pro reached the Olympics in 2021 and even qualified for the third round! However, Osaka, with her aggressive style on-court, has yet to bag a gold medal at the Olympics. 

However, her optimism regarding it has not dimmed. “I have high ambitions of myself and I hope that I can do really well and get a medal,” she previously said. However, Osaka’s journey so far this season paints a different picture, with a glaring decline in her WTA rankings. Nevertheless, she is not only optimistic about her Olympics but also about her performance on the grass this season.

Naomi Osaka is “more confident” on the grass seasonNaomi Osaka, who was the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has faith in her Grass-courts performance this season. Earlier this season, she self-assuredly stated, “I felt probably more confident in it on this surface than any other surface.” Osaka, who reached the quarterfinal of that event, later lost in the first round of the Grass-court championships in Berlin. 

Nevertheless, at Wimbledon, she is making a comeback after four years! Therefore, the former U.S. Open champion is trying to give her best on-court before switching to clay once more at the Olympics. After successfully defeating Daine Parry by (6-1, 1-6, 6-4), the Japanese tennis pro is now onto her next opponent, Emma Navarro. As the tension builds in London, fans are wishing to see her continue her prowess both on the grass and clay this season!