Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has become an inspiration for many, even outside the world of sports. At just 23, her courage to stand up for her beliefs has enabled others to speak for themselves. Acknowledging the same, the Women’s Sports Foundation honored her with the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award this year.

Notably, American sprinter Wilma Rudolph was one of the greatest sporting legends, who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion. Hence, winning an award named after her must be truly special for Osaka.

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Naomi Osaka on becoming the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award honoree

Inarguably, the Japanese tennis star has had a roller-coaster of a year. To begin with, Naomi Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2021. However, following a tiff with the media at the French Open, she withdrew from the tournament, prioritizing her mental health.

As a result, Osaka received both criticism and support. Since then, she has been in and out of the tennis tour.

Even though it may seem easy, balancing stardom, professional career, and personal life is one of the biggest challenges in today’s time. But regardless, Osaka has dealt with it bravely, prioritizing her mental health over success, rightly so. 

On receiving the honor from the Women’s Sports Foundation, the 23-year-old had a beautiful piece of advice to offer. She said, “Try your best every day; you never know where that’s going to take you.”

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Currently, Osaka is on an indefinite break from tennis and is yet to announce a comeback date.

As the Japanese star recently revealed that she has the itch to play again, fans hope to see her sooner now than ever. 

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Osaka’s 2021 season so far

Apart from the Australian Open triumph, Osaka did not make any notable performances on the WTA Tour. So far, she has an 18-6 win-loss record in the 2021 season.

Despite fewer tournaments, Osaka still has an outside chance to qualify for the year-ending WTA Finals. But to make it in the Top 8, she would probably have to compete and earn some ranking points again, even though she is hanging on the 8th spot.

Only time will tell if the WTA Finals is on the cards for Osaka or not. When do you think Naomi Osaka will return to the court?

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